Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Recreation Spaces

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to protect and enhance green spaces.

Dehenna Davison: The Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt.The Levelling Up Parks Fund also made available £9 million for local authorities in areas which rate highly on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, to create or significantly refurbish green spaces.

Coastal Areas: Regeneration

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding his Department has provided for coastal community revival projects since December 2019.

Dehenna Davison: The Coastal Communities Fund, which ran until 2022, supported a large number of projects with a total investment of £187 million.Seven out of the eight English Freeports are in coastal areas, in addition to all four Freeports in Scotland and Wales. 22 coastal areas are benefiting from over £673 million of investment via the Towns Fund. Such communities also continue to benefit from the Levelling Up Fund, where we have just announced our support for over 100 more projects, including in the coastal communities of Blackpool, Cleethorpes and Great Yarmouth. Coastal communities also benefit from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Local Government: Devolution

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the differences in levels of (a) resources and (b) powers granted in devolution deals in England.

Dehenna Davison: Our Devolution Framework sets out a clear menu of options for places in England that wish to unlock the benefits of devolution.The devolution framework is designed to let areas deepen their devolution arrangements over time and at their own pace, recognising that, as institutions mature, they can gain greater responsibility.

Property Development: Planning Permission

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to provide additional funding to planning authorities for monitoring compliance with planning conditions set by his Department for significant developments.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to this consultation.

Private Rented Housing

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in housing costs on tenants in the private rented sector.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of increases in housing costs on households that spend more than 40 per cent of their household income on those costs.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government plans to support people spending over 40 per cent of their household income on (a) rent or (b) mortgage payments.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to end the use of Affordable Rent homes set at 80 per cent of market rates.

Rachel Maclean: We recognise the current context of higher interest rates and cost of living pressures is concerning for mortgage holders. Decisive action has been taken to support households across the UK through cost of living challenges, and the Government will continue to provide cost of living support in 2023-24, designed to target the most vulnerable households. That is why the new Mortgage Charter of June 2023 sets out commitments by the Government, lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to support existing borrowers who are struggling with their mortgage payments.We recognise the cost of living pressures that tenants are facing and that paying rent is likely to be the biggest monthly expense.Affordable Rent was introduced in 2011 to make it possible to deliver a larger number of affordable homes for a given amount of public investment. This has helped to support the delivery of over 659,500 affordable homes since 2010. Of that total, more than 468,700 were homes for rent - and of these, more than 166,300 were Social Rent homes.The Government is committed to delivering more Social Rent homes, and a large number of the homes to be delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for Social Rent. In addition, we recently consulted on a proposal to amend national planning policy to make clear that local planning authorities should give greater importance in planning for Social Rent homes. We will publish a response to that consultation in due course.

Local Plans: Green Belt

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June to Question 191430 on Local Plans: Green Belt, whether his department has received any representations from local authorities which (a) indicate that they are and (b) request further guidance on whether they should be preparing local plans in line with (i) Written Ministerial Statement of 6 December 2022, HCWS415 on the Levelling Up Bill and (ii) the National Planning Policy Framework.

Rachel Maclean: The Government’s priority for getting up to date plans in place has not changed and we have been clear that local planning authorities should continue to progress their plans.Authorities that fail to ensure up to date plans are in place are failing their communities by not recognising the homes and other facilities that local people need, and relying on ad hoc, speculative development that may not make the most of their area’s potential.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that people in private rented accommodation are not evicted from their properties due to increases in rents.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to the Renters (Reform) Bill currently awaiting Second Reading.

Help to Buy Scheme: Hampshire

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Help to Buy homeowners are currently waiting for a decision on a loan redemption application in (a) Romsey and Southampton North constituency and (b) Hampshire.

Rachel Maclean: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities does not collect local level data on the number of homeowners who are currently waiting for a decision on a loan redemption application. We can confirm that between 1 April 2013 and 31 December 2022, 1,362 homes were purchased in East Hampshire, 1,086 in Southampton and 2,156 in the Test Valley area which covers Romsey using the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme. Further data on the number of households in England which have benefitted from the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme can be found in the latest Help to buy Equity Loan scheme statistics.

Affordable Housing: Construction

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what further steps he plans to take to increase the rate of social housing building, in the context of levels of demand for that housing.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 190394 on 28 June 2023.

Flats: Fire Prevention

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to remediate building safety faults on residential flats.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the average length of time taken to remediate building safety faults on residential properties in England.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number of buildings in Hounslow that are awaiting the completion of fire safety remediation work.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the time taken to remediate building safety faults for buildings that have received bids under the building safety fund.

Rachel Maclean: As of 31 May 2023, a total of 15 residential buildings over 18 metres in height in the London Borough of Hounslow have been either identified as still having unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding awaiting removal or deemed eligible for the Building Safety Fund due to the presence of unsafe non-ACM cladding, but are yet to complete remediation. The Department does not hold data on the prevalence of external wall system life-safety fire risk in mid-rise residential buildings at local authority level.Building safety faults can be wide ranging and varied in scope, and projects can vary considerably in the time taken to complete but we have now adapted the Building Safety Fund to make sure that works to address life safety fire risks are risk-driven, proportionate and progressed rapidly.It is expected that the end-to-end process of remediating high-rise buildings will be faster in many cases. This is because interventions will be more tailored for individual projects, with resources focused on where they are needed, according to deliverability and risk to life.The Department also launched a pilot scheme for affected medium-rise buildings in November, which alongside developer-led remediation will make sure there is a route to remediating all affected buildings in England over 11 metres.The department has also provided over £8 million to support local authorities' enforcement action against building owners who are unacceptably delaying works to make their buildings safe.

Local Government: Cheshire

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 03 July to Question 191183 on Local Government: Cheshire, if he will meet with the Hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston to discuss Cheshire Devolution, as requested.

Dehenna Davison: My office will be in touch to arrange a meeting.

Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward secondary legislation under the Elections Act 2022 to implement his policies on overseas voting.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress his Department has made on bringing forward secondary legislation under the Elections Act 2022 to implement his policies on overseas voting.

Dehenna Davison: The secondary legislation to deliver the overseas electors change is expected to be made and come into force in January 2024.

Homelessness: LGBT+ People

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on how many households were owed a prevention or relief duty in which the lead applicant was aged between 16 and 25 and (a) lesbian, (b) gay and (c) bisexual in 2021-22.

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish a breakdown of the categories and corresponding figures included in the Other category in the sexuality field of Homelessness Case Level Collection data for 2021- 22.

Felicity Buchan: Homelessness Statistics for 2021-22 are available here which includes data on the declared sexual identity of the main applicant in households owed statutory homelessness prevention and relief duties. The department does not publish data on sexual identity by age of the applicant. We do not publish a breakdown of the ‘other’ category to protect identification of individuals in categories with small numbers.

Private Rented Housing: Students

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of potential impact of the abolition of fixed term tenancy agreements on the (a) availability and (b) cost of privately rented student accommodation.

Rachel Maclean: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 190095 on 22 June 2023.

Private Rented Housing: Surveys

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2023 to Question 190610 on Private Rented Housing: Surveys, if he will publish the 2022 English Private Landlord Survey.

Rachel Maclean: The English Private Landlord Survey is a biennial survey, with the most recent in 2021.

Treasury

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare sent on (a) 5 June and (b) 20 June 2023 relating to a constituent's case.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC responded to this correspondence on 4 July 2023. I understand that HMRC have also telephoned the constituent to provide an update on their corrected tax return.

Treasury: Surveillance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 24 November 2022 on Security Update on Surveillance Equipment, WMS 386, whether they have (a) ceased deployment of visual surveillance systems produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China onto sensitive sites, (b) ensured no such equipment is connected to their departmental core network, (c) considered whether there are sites outside the definition of sensitive sites to which they would wish to extend risk mitigation and (d) put in place any additional controls or taken any further steps.

Gareth Davies: It is a longstanding Government policy that specific security arrangements regarding Government estates are withheld on security grounds.

Theatre: Tax Allowances

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to the Answer of 30 January 2020 to Question 132309 on Theatre: Tax Allowances, what the (a) average and (b) longest delay was for valid claims for Theatre Tax Relief that were not paid within 28 days in the latest period for which data is available.

Victoria Atkins: We are unable to provide a) average and b) the longest delay for valid claims for Theatre Tax relief not paid within 28 days. Any figures could be misleading, given the range of reasons why claims are not paid within 28 days. In addition, given the size of the sector, to provide context to the figures could put taxpayer confidentiality at risk.

Cooperatives and Friendly Societies: Reviews

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement entitled Law Commission reviews of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and Friendly Societies Act 1992, published on 19 June 2023, whether Commissioners have been appointed to conduct the reviews; what estimate he has made of when the review will be concluded; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Griffith: As set out in my Written Ministerial Statement, the Government has invited the Law Commission to conduct reviews of the Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and Friendly Societies Act 1992. The Treasury is now working with the Law Commission to formally agree a terms of reference and a timetable for each review once the projects are formally agreed.The Law Commission’s statement on the reviews can be found here: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/law-commission-invited-to-review-legislation-on-cooperatives-and-friendly-societies/The Government expects that the reviews will start in the autumn.

Mortgages

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by Kath Scanlon, Bob Pannell and Peter Williams entitled Releasing the mortgage prisoners: proposed solutions and illustrative costings, published on 1 March 2023 February 2023; and whether he plans to implement the recommendations of that report.

Andrew Griffith: The Government understands that being unable to switch your mortgage can be extremely stressful, and, alongside the Financial Conduct Authority and industry, have shown we are willing to act through the introduction of a ‘modified affordability assessment’. We are also regularly in contact with key stakeholders, including recently with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Mortgage Prisoners. The Government remains committed to this issue, and we are considering the proposals put forward in this report very carefully. While we cannot force lenders to lend to borrowers they consider too high a risk, the Government welcomes any further practical and proportionate solutions that would meaningfully assist affected borrowers and be fair to other borrowers in the wider market.

Bank Services

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on levels of transparency in financial institutions over decisions to close (a) personal and (b) business accounts.

Andrew Griffith: The Government recognises the importance of transparency with regards to consumers and businesses’ access to financial services products. The Government has recently consulted on the adequacy of the existing balance of rights and obligations between payment service users and providers in relation to users’ contracts and rules on termination, as part of its review of the relevant regulations – the Payment Services Regulations 2017. The Government is currently reviewing responses to determine if the legislative change is warranted, and will engage the Financial Conduct Authority as the competent authority where appropriate, on the basis of these findings. The Government is committed to bringing a Written Ministerial Statement before the House to report on the Government’s findings on this matter, and to set out if any changes to regulation are necessary, ahead of its formal response to the Review.

Car Allowances: Tax Yields

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much tax revenue his Department received in reimbursements of car mileage set higher than the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment rate in financial year 2022-23; and what proportion of that revenue represented of the overall income tax take for that year.

Gareth Davies: The requested information is not available as payments above the Approved Mileage Allowance rate are taxable as earnings and are therefore not separately reportable to HMRC, so cannot be separately identified.

Taxpayers

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were (a) basic and (b) higher-rate taxpayers in each of the last eight financial years.

Victoria Atkins: The Income Tax Liabilities Statistics provide a breakdown of the number of Income Taxpayers by marginal rate of Income Tax between 1990 to 1991 and 2023 to 2024. This information can be found in Table 2.1: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/number-of-individual-income-taxpayers-by-marginal-rate-gender-and-age Data for the tax years 1990 to 1991 up to and including 2020 to 2021 are outturn based on the Survey of Personal Incomes. Estimates for 2021 to 2022, 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 are based on the 2019 to 2020 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Energy Supply: Fees and Charges

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of removing VAT from energy suppliers standing charges.

Victoria Atkins: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. The Government recognises that families should not have to bear all of the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, with domestic fuels such as gas, electricity and heating oil already subject to the reduced rate of VAT at 5 per cent of VAT. The Government's package of support to help households with their energy bills is more generous than an additional VAT cut on the standing charges for domestic fuel and power, and there would be no guarantee that suppliers would pass on the discounts from this relief to all customers.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Gun Sports: Licensing

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many individual shoot licence applications her Department has received in each of the last (a) six and (b) twelve months.

Trudy Harrison: During 2022 Natural England received 7 individual Licence applications for the release of gamebirds (common pheasants and/or red-legged partridges) on and/or with 500m of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or a Special Protection Area (SPA). As of 21 June 2023, Natural England has received 84 Individual Licence applications for the release of gamebirds on and/or within 500m of those Sites.

Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain Independent Review

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set out the selection process for the (a) Chair and (b) panel for the Independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain.

Mark Spencer: The chair and expert panel were directly appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs based on a set of criteria, including their expertise in the food and farming sector. This method of appointment is common practice for independent reviews commissioned by HM Government. Now that the final report has been published, we will look closely at the findings and set out our response in the Autumn.

Marine Protected Areas: Fisheries

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas on biodiveristy in (a) those areas and (b) UK waters.

Mark Spencer: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided on MPAs therefore relates to England only. We have established a comprehensive network of MPAs covering 40% of our waters, and we are now focusing on making sure they are properly protected. Marine regulators make evidence-based, site by site assessments on the fishing activities that could prevent MPAs from achieving their conservation objectives. Nearly 60% of the 178 English MPAs are already protected from damaging fishing activity. This includes byelaws made last year, which ban bottom towed gear over sensitive features in the first four offshore sites. The Marine Management Organisation consulted earlier this year on similar proposals for a further 13 sites; confirmation of these will be considered shortly. We are aiming to have all MPAs in English waters protected from damaging fishing activity by 2024. The UK Marine Strategy Programme of Measures is designed to support UK waters to be clean, safe, healthy, biologically diverse and productive seas. This includes a range of measures to address the pressures faced by benthic habitats including from bottom towed fishing.

Agriculture: Standards

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to balance the regulatory burden on the agricultural sector with the protection of environmental, welfare and food standards.

Mark Spencer: We are committed to fair, clear, effective regulation of farming – while maintaining and improving delivering important environmental, animal, plant and public health protections. We have already overhauled our regulatory approach, removing harsh penalties in cross compliance, leading to an 85% drop in formal complaints, whilst working with farmers through an advice-led approach to protect standards - with over 2,600 Environment Agency improvement notices completed since April 2021. We have removed bureaucratic, ineffective EU greening rules and we will continue to reduce burdens where possible while cracking down on those who let the side down.

Food Banks

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of food price inflation on levels of demand for emergency parcels from food banks.

Mark Spencer: Tackling inflation is this Government’s number one priority. We continue to support households through our £94 billion package, worth £3,300 on average per household this year and last. We are also providing £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England targeted at supporting critical frontline services.

Water: Standards

Robbie Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the quality of bathing waters.

Rebecca Pow: Our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan requires water companies to improve all storm overflows discharging into or near designated bathing waters by 2035. The Environment Secretary has also demanded an action plan on every storm overflow in England. The Environment Agency monitors all bathing waters in England with action plans in place at all ‘poor’ waters. Last year 93% of bathing waters were classified as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, up from 76% in 2010.

Veterinary Services: Staff

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of vets.

Mark Spencer: The Department have several initiatives to help increase the number of vets in the UK. We have established a Veterinary Education and Future Capacity Steering Group, involving representatives from across the profession, as well as Government officials. We are developing a range of short and long-term policy options to increase current capacity. This includes work collectively to improve retention within the profession, strengthen our domestic pipeline by ensuring our education system is sustainable and that we have balanced approach to overseas recruitment. Alongside this, the new veterinary schools opening at Harper Adams & Keele, the Scottish Rural College, University of Central Lancashire & the University of Aberystwyth will ensure that there are more UK qualified vets entering the profession in the next few years. Defra is also considering legislative options, when parliamentary time allows, to help better enable the wider veterinary team including veterinary nurses and other allied professionals to help loosen the burden on the practising vet and allow more rewarding careers for the sector.

Drinking Water Inspectorate

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times she has met with the Drinking Water Inspectorate since her appointment.

Rebecca Pow: The Secretary of State is in regular communication with the Drinking Water Inspectorate on a range of matters towards the effective regulation of drinking water quality. Drinking water in England is of an excellent standard and this is demonstrated through a continuing high standard of 99.97% compliance.

Cats: Smuggling

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the smuggling of cats into the UK.

Trudy Harrison: Criminal offences already exist for cats brought into this country in breach of current import requirements. In Autumn 2021 we consulted on further proposed changes to the rules governing the commercial and non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets into Great Britain. We are carefully reviewing the feedback from our consultation and wider engagement with stakeholders, including Cats Protection, and a summary will be published in due course.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she had made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of the (a) resources for and (b) capacity of border control posts in Northern Ireland.

Mark Spencer: The existing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) facilities in Northern Ireland are temporary and the Government's position has always been that these will need to be enhanced. Defra has worked closely, and will continue to do so, with multiple Government departments, and I can confirm that the resources for, and capacity of, the planned SPS inspection facilities are sufficient to meet the requirements committed to under the Windsor Framework.

Frozen Food: Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether frozen third country products in Great Britain will need to be shipped to Northern Ireland before 1 October 2023 to meet labelling requirements.

Mark Spencer: Frozen products must meet the same requirements as non-frozen products. Products in scope must meet relevant labelling requirements to move through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. Details of these requirements can be found in the guidance published on 9 June.

UK Internal Trade: Labelling

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued on the (a) label size, (b) font, (c) location and (d) other specifications for the labelling of not-for-EU products.

Mark Spencer: The Government published technical requirements for not-for-EU labelling on 9 June 2023, as follows: The labels can be written, printed, stencilled, marked, embossed, impressed on or attached to the product, box or shelf. The labels can be adhesive labels (stickers) or sticky tape, if they are not easily removable.The label must be easy to see, clear to read and unlikely to fall off or be removed. It should not be hidden or covered by any other writing or pictures. It can be incorporated into individual packaging if it does not cover any other required information.Products should be marked in line with existing UK labelling requirements. The label size, font, and location can be determined by the business as long as the above requirements are met.

UK Internal Trade: Labelling

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to introduce the Not for EU labelling regulations for products destined for Northern Ireland.

Mark Spencer: As described in guidance published 9 June 2023, some food products will need individual product labels with the words ‘Not for EU’ to move via the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. These requirements will be brought in through three phases from October 2023 to July 2025.

Water: Conservation

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered the potential merits of including more water efficiency measures in the Greening Government Commitments.

Rebecca Pow: The Greening Government Commitments set out water efficiency measures that UK Government departments and their agencies will take to reduce impacts on the environment in the period 2021-25. The current commitment is to reduce water consumption by at least 8% by 2025 from the 2017 to 2018 baseline. In 2021, the Government achieved reductions of 14% water usage (against a 2014 to 2015 baseline) saving an estimated £10.4 million in 2020 to 2021. We will review this commitment and how it will deliver our water demand target under the Environment Act 2021 to reduce the use of public water supply by 20% per person by 2038.

Marine Animals: Fishing Catches

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to enforce the legal requirement for non-UK-flagged supertrawlers fishing in UK waters to report marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation.

Mark Spencer: The Government recognises that accidental bycatch in fisheries is one of the greatest threats faced by sensitive marine species such as cetaceans, and we remain fully committed to tackling this issue. The UK introduced new rules in 2021 making it a mandatory requirement under fishing vessel licence conditions for fishers, including non-UK-flagged large pelagic trawlers, to report any marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The UK notified the European Commission that this requirement would be coming into force and is a licence condition for all vessels fishing in our waters.

Dairy Products: Labelling

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June to Question 189224 on Dairy Products, who is conducting the research on food information to consumers; who will be consulted as part of the research; what other issues are part of the research and what are the research objectives; for what reason the research was commissioned; and when she expects the research be (a) completed and (b) published.

Mark Spencer: Following a competitive tender process, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are conducting the research on behalf of Defra, with a consortium of academics and partner agencies. Defra has set up a steering group made up of representatives from within Defra and other relevant Government departments. Consumers and business will be inputting into this research, along with existing literature. The research will build on previous research (Defra (2014), Baseline evaluation of EU Food Information to Consumers - FA0132, Science Search (defra.gov.uk) and Defra (2019), Follow Up Study of EU Food Information to Consumers - FA0169, Science Search (defra.gov.uk)) and investigate to what extent the objectives of the Food Information to Consumers regulations have been achieved, and how key indicators have changed from the baseline and follow up studies. The research will also explore the impacts of recent legislative, societal, and technological changes to food labelling on consumers and industry. The research is due to be completed by the end of March 2024 and published summer 2024.

Rivers: Pollution Control

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will take steps to work with water companies to explore (a) the management of microplastics in sewage sludge and (b) options for protecting chalk streams; and if she will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: Last year the Government launched the most ambitious plan to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows in water company history. The Environment Agency  is currently developing a microplastics monitoring plan  for English rivers . The Government has prioritised chalk streams in policy and legislation. In the Plan for Water, we reaffirmed our commitment to protecting chalk streams and recognised them as having a special natural heritage.

Rivers: Microplastics

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to improve methods of measuring the (a) amount and (b) types of (i) microplastic and (ii) microfibres in chalk streams; and if she will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency  is currently developing a microplastics monitoring  plan for English rivers . The Government has prioritised chalk streams in policy and legislation. In the Plan for Water, we have reaffirmed our commitment to protecting chalk streams and recognised them as having a special natural heritage.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: Rural Areas

Julian Knight: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to (a) address the challenges faced by rural communities and (b) ensure their access to religious services.

Andrew Selous: The General Synod will be holding a debate on 'Revitalising the Parish' at its meeting in York in July 2023. GS2314, the paper produced for the debate can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-2314-revitalising-the-parish.pdfThe paper mentions the recent Independent Review, which identified that more than half of Strategic Development Funding support has gone to working with existing churches - £94.9m over 2014-2021- and that examples of where that funding has gone include into rural sustainability.An example is in Salisbury diocese, where there has been investment in providing opportunities for ministry experience scheme participants, ordinands, and clergy to experience rural ministry. It also highlights ministry statistics that show there has been no change in the absolute number of stipendiary clergy in rural areas between 2016 (37% of stipendiary clergy) and 2020 (38%).The National Church Institutions have distributed £390 million to support strategic mission and ministry in parishes over 2023-25, increasing to £1.3 billion by 2031. The Church Commissioners have made a further £5.8 million available to ensure that all curates in training can find a first incumbency post. Discerning vocations are being invested in, and dioceses are well on the way to doubling the number of people presenting for training compared to a decade ago. In 2020 a record number was presented for ordination compared to the same figures a decade earlier.The Bishop of Exeter, as the Church of England's lead bishop for rural affairs, has produced extensive resources and published a book about the pressure facing rural parishes, 'How village churches thrive: a practical guide' and the Diocese of Exeter has developed specific resources to support parishes, which are available on the website 'Growing the Rural Church': https://www.growingtheruralchurch.org/

Church of England: Young People

Julian Knight: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to address changes in the level of (a) attendance by and (b) engagement of young people.

Andrew Selous: A key component of the Vision and Strategy programme of work is for the Church of England to become a "younger and more diverse" church. More information can be seen here:  https://www.churchofengland.org/about/vision-strategy/our-priorities/younger-and-more-diverseThe 2023 report of the Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households, 'Love Matters', reinforced the need to empower children and young people and involve them in decisions about their future. It can be read here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/archbishops-commissions/families-and-households/love-matters-final-report-commissionThe Church of England’s Growing in Faith Foundation is also providing leadership opportunities for young people across the country. More details can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/education-and-schools/growing-faith-foundation

Church of England: Investment

Julian Knight: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to ensure that the Church's investments align with its values.

Andrew Selous: The Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) supports the Church Commissioners, the Church of England Pensions Board and the CBF Church of England Funds (which are managed by CCLA). It provides timely and practical advice to the three National Investing Bodies (NIBs) to enable them to invest in a way that is distinctly Christian and Anglican.In particular, the advice of the EIAG relates to:Assets, sectors or markets in which it would not be appropriate for the NIBs to investStewardship of the NIBs' investments (including voting and engagement)Relationships with managers and other investorsPolicy issues.The most recent annual review by the Ethical Investment Advisory Group can be viewed here: eiag_annual_review_2021-22.pdf (churchofengland.org)

Church of England: Young People

Julian Knight: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to encourage participation by young people in its decision-making processes.

Andrew Selous: At the July 2023 meeting of the General Synod a Private Members Motion will be debated that proposes that five young members be co-opted to the General Synod and one to the Board of the Archbishops' Council. GS 2298A, a paper prepared for that debate can be read here: gs-2298a-youth-synod-1.pdf (churchofengland.org)GS2298B, a paper circulated to the General Synod by the Secretary-General sets out plans for future engagement with young people and diocesan youth councils and can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/gs-2298b-sec-gen-youth-representation.pdf

Homelessness and Poverty

Julian Knight: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent progress the Church has made on its initiatives to combat (a) homelessness and (b) poverty.

Andrew Selous: The Bishop of Chelmsford, who is the Lead Bishop for Housing, has warmly welcomed the ’Homewards’ initiative of the Prince of Wales. The Church works extensively at a local level to tackle homelessness, often in partnership with charities and volunteers.The report of the Archbishops' Housing Commission, ‘Coming Home’, made many recommendations to church and Government and highlighted the work undertaken by the church to provide and develop truly affordable housing in local communities. It can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/archbishops-commissions/housing-church-and-community/about-coming-home77% of churches responding to a 2019 survey reported involvement in one or more forms of social action, with 35,000 social action projects being either directly run, hosted, or supported in other ways. A 2020 report from the National Churches Trust found that church buildings create £12.4 billion economic and social value every year, of which £10 billion is ‘non-market (social and wellbeing) value’.Churches in city centres often open in the evening to be night shelters, particularly in the winter, and several Anglican cathedrals run dedicated projects. More information about one of these, the Archer project in Sheffield, can be found here: https://www.archerproject.org.uk/ Based in Sheffield Cathedral it provides a kitchen, medical room and educational and activity space. The project is also a multi-agency hub with GP, nursing and dentistry surgeries, outreach from rough sleeper teams, drug and alcohol outreach teams, hosting for mental health appointments, probation services, accommodation services and 1:1 team working with people with complex needs. In 2021 the project engaged with over 1,000 individuals a year, around 70-80 per day.

Clergy: Homosexuality

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions he has had with the Church of England General Synod on its expected timetable for bringing forward proposals on (a) blessings, (b) marriages and (c) rules for clergy in same-sex relationships.

Andrew Selous: In February 2023 the General Synod agreed proposals that would enable same-sex couples to come to church after a civil marriage or civil partnership to give thanks, dedicate their relationship to God and receive God’s blessing.  In my response to the Rt Hon Member’s oral question of 9th March, I said:“The pastoral guidance is being worked on, and the bishops remain committed to implementing their response to Living in Love and Faith, which the General Synod approved last month. The timing may depend on the July Synod’s response to the pastoral guidance and “Prayers of Love and Faith”. The Synod is a democratic body and, like this Parliament, its decisions cannot be guaranteed in advance.” (Commons Hansard 9th March 2023, col. 409)That answer was given in the hope that the necessary work would be completed in time for the July Synod to consider it, but was not intended as a guarantee that it would. While I understand that the work to produce the new pastoral guidance is progressing well, it is not at the stage where it is possible for it to be considered at the July sessions of the General Synod. Instead Synod members will be given an update and an opportunity to ask questions. It will be possible to consider a timetable for the introduction of the prayers of love and faith once other key elements, including the new pastoral guidance, are in place. All efforts are being made to progress the work.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to paragraph 310 of the Explanatory Notes to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, what funding previously set aside by the Government is to be used for the financial implications of that Bill.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Northern Ireland Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery: Staff

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff in his Department are working in the secretariat for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Northern Ireland Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department issued guidance to Northern Ireland departments on the management of the changes in the levels of funding set out in the Northern Ireland Budget Act 2023.

Mr Steve Baker: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and his officials engaged intensively with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to set the Northern Ireland Budget for the 2022-23 financial year.Guidance intended to support Northern Ireland departments in taking decisions in the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive was published alongside the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2022. In the absence of an Executive, it is for each Northern Ireland department to manage its funding from within the allocated budget.However, it remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to set a budget and make spending decisions are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning devolved administration.

Northern Ireland Office: Official Hospitality

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent on hospitality in each of the last three years.

Mr Steve Baker: The amount spent on hospitality by the Northern Ireland Office is as follows: 2019-20 - £258,327 2020-21 - £33,458 2021-22 - £62,872 The 2022-23 spend is subject to end of year audit and therefore not yet available.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and (b) its secretariat on the spending arrangements for Northern Ireland departments set out in the Northern Ireland Budget Act 2023.

Mr Steve Baker: The joint communiqué from the most recent meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, held on 19 June 2023, can be found on gov.uk.

Northern Ireland Budget Act 2023

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department took to ensure the equality impact assessment requirement under Schedule 9(4)(2)(b) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 was carried out for the Northern Ireland Budget Act 2023.

Mr Steve Baker: Northern Ireland departments completed indicative assessments with regard to the Section 75 statutory equality duty under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 as part of the 2022-23 budget setting process which informed the budget allocations placed on a statutory footing through the Northern Ireland Budget Act 2023. It was the responsibility of the Northern Ireland departments to consider what further equality impact assessments were required in accordance with the statutory equality duty under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on the spending decisions which were needed to live within their final budget allocations.

Schools: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the funding per pupil is for state schools in Northern Ireland; and what comparison he has made with such funding in each of the other nations of the UK.

Mr Steve Baker: The education of young people is valued very highly across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. An Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report published on 21 April this year identified spending per pupil across the UK in 2022-23 as follows: England, Wales, and Northern Ireland - approximately £7,200, Scotland - over £8,500. The report found that spending per pupil in Northern Ireland has grown by 11% in real terms between 2018-19 and 2022-23 after falling for almost a decade.

Home Office

Asylum: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the contractual requirements with private sector organisations are on the (a) length and (b) nature of support provided to asylum seekers accommodated by the Home Office in Wales.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to house and financially support destitute asylum seekers whilst we consider their claim for protection and any support provided will last until their asylum claim is full determined. Support provided by our accommodation providers therefore lasts until we inform them that a claim is fully determined and that the Home Office ceases support.We expect the highest standards from our contractors and providers which are monitored closely to ensure they continue to meet these standards. The standards of accommodation and service are set within Asylum Accommodation & Support Contracts (AASC) and represent a higher standard of quality than the preceding COMPASS contracts. The details of our contract with the private sector provider of asylum support in Wales can be found online at:AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder

Asylum: Interviews

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2023 to Question 190103 on Asylum: Interviews, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the potential impact of the Streamlined Asylum Process separate from increases in the number of decision-makers.

Robert Jenrick: The Prime Minister pledged to clear the backlog of the 92,601 initial asylum decisions relating to claims made before 28 June 2022 (“legacy claims”) by the end of 2023. We are making good progress to deliver this commitment. Numbers published show the initial decision legacy backlog is down by over 17,000 since 13 December 2022. We are on track to clear the legacy backlog by the end of the year.

Asylum: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has entered into contracts with any private sector organisations to (a) provide and (b) arrange specialist mental health support for asylum seekers accommodated by her Department in Wales.

Robert Jenrick: The Government is under a legal obligation to provide support to all asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.Asylum seekers have access to free NHS care, which includes mental health services. In addition, asylum seekers can access Migrant Help, who the Home Office contract to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers, should they have an issue and for signposting to health and welfare services.

Asylum: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has placed any contractual requirements on private organisations to liaise with (a) local authorities, (b) health boards, (c) local voluntary sector and (d) Senedd Cymru when planning to accommodate asylum seekers in Wales.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office requires that all of our accommodation providers engage and consult with local authorities and other partners on the procurement and placement of supported asylum seekers. Full details of our requirements can be found online at:AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts FinderThe Home Office is committed to working with statutory partners in planning for the dispersal and accommodation of asylum seekers and funds Strategic Migration Partnerships to facilitate and enable that engagement, including in Wales. In addition, the Home Office has, in April this year, established monthly regional governance forums to plan for the dispersal of asylum seekers and consider the impact on statutory and other services.

Home Office: Surveillance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 24 November 2022 on Security Update on Surveillance Equipment, WMS 386, whether they have (a) ceased deployment of visual surveillance systems produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China onto sensitive sites, (b) ensured no such equipment is connected to their departmental core network, (c) considered whether there are sites outside the definition of sensitive sites to which they would wish to extend risk mitigation and (d) put in place any additional controls or taken any further steps.

Tom Tugendhat: On 24 November 2022, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster published a Written Ministerial Statement noting that departments had been instructed to take a series of actions relating to surveillance equipment subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. The Home Office has been implementing this policy along with other protective security controls.At Report Stage of the Procurement Bill, the Government committed that, within six months of Royal Assent, the Government will set out the timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment supplied by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China from sensitive sites. This department will be providing information to the Cabinet Office to support this commitment. It is a longstanding Government policy that specific security arrangements regarding Government estates are withheld on security grounds.

Asylum: Applications

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many decisions were made on asylum applications in (a) May and (b) June 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on initial decisions made on asylum applications can be found in table Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relate to the year ending March 2023.Data for May and June 2023 will be published on 24 August 2023. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Cannabis: Decriminalisation

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of decriminalising cannabis (a) possession, (b) supply and (c) manufacture on the prison population.

Chris Philp: No assessment has been made. The Government has no plans to decriminalise cannabis.

Passports: Older People

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the provision of concessionary passports peopleaged overof80.

Robert Jenrick: Concessionary passports are issued free of charge to British national customers born on or before 2 September 1929. The concession was introduced in 2004 as part of a series of measures to recognise the contribution of British nationals to the war effort, rather than being an age-related concession.There are no current plans to review it at this stage.HM Passport Office guidance on concessionary passports is published online: Concessionary passports (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Biometric Residence Permits: ICT

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what IT problems are causing delays in issuing biometric resident permit cards; and when they expectthose IT problems tobefixed.

Robert Jenrick: There are currently no direct BRP production issues. Where a BRP cannot be produced then these cases can be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Asylum: MOD Wethersfield

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether additional funding will be provided to (a) local authorities, (b) the NHS and (c) the police in connection with the operation of the Wethersfield asylum site.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has committed substantial funding to help minimise the impact on local communities and services. This includes 24/7 security, on-site catering, basic healthcare and transport provision for those accomodated on site. Discussions regarding the specific funding arrangements for local authorities and the NHS are ongoing, and a grant policy for police forces impacted by new large sites, including Wethersfield, has been published. The government currently provides £3,500 to local authorities for new and occupied dispersal beds. This £3,500 funding for local authorities will be extended to the sites at Wethersfield.

Department of Health and Social Care

Air Ambulance Services

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times his Department has made an estimate of the savings to the public purse attributable to charity air ambulance services in the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gender Dysphoria: Health Services

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of NHS waiting times for gender-affirming procedures on transgender patients.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gender Dysphoria: Health Services

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce NHS waiting times for gender-affirming procedures.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners:  Telephone Systems

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published on 9 May 2023, how many and what proportion of GP Practices have requested Government support to move to digital telephony since the publication of that plan.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the current vaccine coverage rate for Human papillomavirus vaccination in Ealing; and what recent steps he has taken to support school-based immunisation programmes in (a) London and (b) England to increase levels in vaccination.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency publishes annual vaccine coverage data to track the performance of all teenage and adult national immunisation programmes including protection against human papillomavirus (HPV). Vaccine coverage data shows national as well as regional levels and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2021-to-2022Across England, the HPV vaccine is predominately delivered in schools, helping to combat health inequalities by reaching children from disadvantaged backgrounds, vulnerable families, and others who may not be registered with a general practitioner (GP) practice but who are still in education. Regional teams also host catch up clinics in schools. Alternative sites are available for anyone not in mainstream education, or for those who have missed their offer.It is vitally important that everyone takes up the vaccinations to which they are entitled; for themselves, their families, and wider society. Anyone unsure about their eligibility or vaccination status should contact their GP for advice.

Health Services: Women

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with NHS England on the appointment of a clinical lead for women’s health.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England continues to work with the Department on the appointment of a women’s health lead.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK Health Security Agency publication entitled Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage estimates in England: 2021 to 2022, published on 20 December 2022, what steps his Department is taking to increase HPV vaccine rates to the levels achieved prior to the covid-19 pandemic.

Maria Caulfield: To allow for ease of access, the human papillomavirus (HPV) programme is primarily delivered in England through schools, with alternative provision for those not in mainstream education and catch-up programmes offered through general practitioner (GP) practices for both girls and boys who are eligible but missed their initial offer. Regional NHS teams also host catch up clinics in schools and in local venues in areas with low uptake.NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency deliver annual communication campaigns to promote the HPV vaccine via general practitioners and universities, emphasising the benefits of the HPV vaccine for both boys and girls.It is vitally important that everyone takes up the vaccinations to which they are entitled; for themselves, their families, and wider society. Anyone unsure about their eligibility or vaccination status should contact their GP for advice.

Maternity Services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust Independent Review

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made in implementing the recommendations of the final report of the Ockenden review, published 30 March 2022.

Maria Caulfield: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. It will put the workforce on a sustainable footing for the long term.The Government is backing the plan with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places over five years. This is on top of increases to education and training investment, reaching a record £6.1 billion over the next two yearsThe Department alongside the NHS have set up a working group chaired by the Royal College of Midwifery and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to help guide the implementation of the Ockenden and to support our consideration of the Kirkup recommendations.The Ockenden review recommendations sits with the Single delivery plan published on 30 March 2023. NHS England published its three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. The delivery plan will make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families.The delivery plan sets out that it is the responsibility of integrated care boards to commission and implement perinatal pelvic health services by the end of March 2024, in line with national service specifications, to identify, prevent, and treat common pelvic floor problems in pregnant women and new mothers.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme: JCVI advice, 7 June 2023, published on 22 June 2023, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of RSV vaccination programmes on the number of (a) GP appointments and (b) hospitalisations.

Maria Caulfield: Policy options based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on a potentially expanded respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme are being developed. This includes consideration of the impact of RSV on health services.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the World Health Organisation scheme entitled Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, what recent estimate he has made of when (a) 90 per cent of girls will be fully-vaccinated with HPV vaccine before the age of 15, (b) 70 per cent of women will be screened with a high-performance test (i) before the age of 35 and (ii) a second time before the aged of 45, (c) 90 per cent of women identified with cervical disease will receive treatment and (d) 90 per cent of women with (A) pre-cancer and (B) invasive cancer will receive treatment.

Maria Caulfield: The Department is committed to driving uptake of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to achieve the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target of 90% coverage. The HPV programme is primarily delivered in schools to support ease of access with alternative sites available for those not in mainstream education. For anyone who missed their offer, catch-up opportunities are offered in schools and general practitioner practices for both girls and boys who are eligible until their 25th birthday.To support uptake, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency deliver annual communication campaigns to promote the HPV vaccine via general practices and universities, emphasising the benefits of the HPV vaccine for both boys and girls.The NHS Cervical Screening Programme aligns with the WHO’s target of 70% of women being screened using a high-performance test, by age 35 years old and again at age 45 years old. Published data shows that coverage for March 2022 was 69.9%.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme: JCVI advice, 7 June 2023, published on 22 June 2022, whether he has a planned timetable for the introduction of RSV vaccination programmes for (a) maternal, (b) infant and (c) other people.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the independent report entitled Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme: JCVI advice, 7 June 2023, published on 22 June 2023, what steps his Department is taking to implement vaccination programmes in winter 2023.

Maria Caulfield: Policy options based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on a potentially expanded respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programme are being developed as fast as is feasible, including consideration for maternal, infant and/or adult programmes. This includes working with UK Health Security Agency and NHS England on potential implementation timetables, with NHS England leading on delivery.

Terminal Illnesses: Medical Treatments

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to permit people with terminal illness to try medications approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence but not for their condition.

Will Quince: Prescribers are able to offer any treatment that they consider to be the most clinically appropriate care for the individual, subject to the NHS commissioner agreeing to funding. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the NHS on whether all new medicines and significant licence extensions for existing medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits.The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE. In the absence of NICE guidance on the use of a medicine, NHS commissioners are expected to make funding decisions on individual treatments based on an assessment of the available evidence.

National Clinical Directors and National Specialty Advisers

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria were used in the job descriptions for the appointment of (a) National Clinical Director and (b) National Specialty Advisor.

Will Quince: The core criteria for the National Clinical Director and the National Specialty Advisor include but are not limited to:- knowledge and experience of working in or with the Department, arm’s length bodies and other health organisations- knowledge of evidence-based policy making and corporate and NHS governance; significant experience of working at a national or sub-national level as a clinical leader- holds or is willing to work towards Fellowship or Associate Fellowship of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management- able to navigate and negotiate the NHS and the wider health, social care and political landscape- excellent leadership skills and the ability to build and motivate high performing teams- educated to degree level in the relevant discipline- will consider the most effective way to promote equality of opportunity and good working relationships in employment and service delivery and has the ability to take actions which support and promote this agenda- values diversity and difference operates with integrity and openness- self-awareness in terms of emotional intelligence, biases and personal triggers with cultural sensitivity and awareness. Each role will include criteria specific to the individual area of expertise and programme of work the role will support.

Health Professions: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase (a) recruitment and (b) retention of healthcare professionals.

Will Quince: We are growing the workforce, with over 5,800 (4.5%) more doctors and almost 14,900 (4.8%) more nurses in National Health Service trusts and commissioning bodies than last year (April 2022).We have published the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. The Plan includes projections for the number of doctors, nurses and other professionals that will be needed for the next 15 years, taking full account of improvements in retention and productivity. This plan will help ensure that we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills to transform and deliver high quality services fit for the future. The Government is backing the Plan with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places. This is on top of increases to education and training investment, reaching a record £6.1 billion over the next two years.By improving culture, leadership and wellbeing, we will ensure up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next 15 years. We will continue to build on what we know works and roll out the interventions that have already proven to be successful. This includes ensuring staff can work flexibly, have access to health and wellbeing support, and work in a team that is well-led. These measures will help to retain the workforce, and ensure the NHS People Promise becomes a reality for all staff.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to secure the supply of Utrogestan; and on what date his Department expects the national supply of that medication will meet demand.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds of the level of supply of Utrogestan; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) pharmacies and (b) hospitals without access to that medicine as of 30 June 2023.

Will Quince: Utrogestan (progesterone) 100mg capsules will be unavailable for short periods of time until late 2023. The supplier is taking steps to increase supply and the Department continues to work closely with them to monitor and drive progress. In addition, a Serious Shortage Protocol has been issued which allows pharmacists to limit dispensing of Utrogestan to a maximum of two months’ supply per prescription, to help support access to available stock, and we have provided management guidance to the NHS where supplies are unavailable.

Gynaecology: Waiting Lists

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for gynaecology assessments.

Will Quince: The ‘Delivery Plan for Tackling the COVID-19 Backlog of Elective Care’ outlines how the NHS will bring down waiting times across all elective services. The plan does not prioritise specialties but commits to eradicate all waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025, except for in the case of patient choice. To support this plan and tackle waiting lists, including those in gynaecology, the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to drive up and protect elective activity. We are also increasing capacity, including for gynaecological surgery, through our surgical hubs, delivered by the Getting It Right First Time ‘High Volume Low Complexity’ programme.

Life Sciences

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps with (a) the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and (b) other patient organisations to implement his Department's Life Sciences Vision.

Will Quince: The Office for Life Sciences engage with patient representative organisations to deliver on ambitions in the Life Sciences Vision, including the healthcare missions and genomics. On cystic fibrosis specifically, we will soon be consulting the United Kingdom clinical trials community, individual medical research charities and the Association of Medical Research Charities, of which the Cystic Fibrosis Trust is a member, to implement the headline commitments and inform a full response to the independent Lord James O’Shaughnessy review into UK clinical trials.

NHS: Standards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by the Kings Fund entitled How does the NHS compare to the health care systems of other countries, published on 26 June 2023.

Will Quince: The Department regularly reviews performance of the National Health Service against comparable healthcare systems internationally. The Department has already put in place measures which address issues raised in the report, such as the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which sets out a plan to build a sufficient workforce for the future with £2.4 billion funding over the next five years and the Elective Recovery Plan, published in 2022 to address backlogs build up during the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle long waits for care. In the coming year the Major Conditions Strategy will set out measures to address healthy life expectancy in the United Kingdom and improve outcomes for six major condition groups, including cancer.

Dental Services: Costs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of dentistry for people on low incomes.

Neil O'Brien: There are a range of exemptions to NHS dental patient charges and support through the low-income scheme for patients who meet the eligibility criteria. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/dental-costs/get-help-with-dental-costs/

Pharmacy: Disadvantaged

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June to Question 190457 on Pharmacy: Stockport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of pharmacies in areas of deprivation.

Neil O'Brien: There remains good access to National Health Service pharmaceutical services in England, with 80% of the population within 20 minutes walking distance to their nearest pharmacy. Access to pharmaceutical services is better in the most deprived areas with these communities having twice as many pharmacies as those in the least deprived areas.

Medical Equipment: Allergies

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing charges for the renewal of a faulty EpiPen.

Will Quince: There are no plans to make revisions to the prescription charge arrangements.The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015 do not provide an exemption from prescription charges for recalled or faulty items. Any prescription only medicine that is faulty as in this case, a new prescription will need to be issued.If a manufacturer detects a potential fault with a medical product or device, they must notify the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as per the considerations for recall action which are part of standard licensing conditions. The MHRA will issue a recall notification and also work with manufacturer to proactively issue communications on the recall to ensure patient safety.

Liver Diseases

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many alcohol-dependent patients in acute and mental health services were referred for a fibrosis assessment for liver disease in England in 2022.

Neil O'Brien: NHS England does not routinely collect national data on fibrosis assessment for liver disease. However, as part of the 2022/23 Cirrhosis and Fibrosis Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) indicator (CCG9), data were submitted from 88 acute and mental health trusts indicating 9,462 referrals of alcohol-dependent patients for an appropriate test

General Practitioners: Stockport

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for a referral by a GP to a specialist in Stockport constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

Will Quince: The data is not available in the format requested.

Cancer: Research

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department have made of the impact of the closure of the National Cancer Research Institute on cancer research.

Will Quince: National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) has done great work over 22 years bringing together the cancer research community and connecting researchers. The decision to close was made by the NCRI trustees and is not the result of Government funding or any other decisions.As the landscape evolves, we will continue to work with the research community and funders across the ecosystem to deliver research that meets the needs of patients and the public. We recognise the considerable leadership that Cancer Research UK has in this area, and will work in partnership with them and the patient community to strive to improve care and outcomes for all.

Department for Education

Sign Language: Education

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish an action plan on steps to help local education authorities expand the provision of sign language courses for families of deaf children.

Claire Coutinho: Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in, or focusing on, British Sign Language (BSL) up to and including level 2. Approximately 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, who determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas.ESFA funded AEB qualifications include, for example, the level 1 Award in BSL which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or expected to meet part of the cost through co-funding. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission. Some local authorities receive a funding allocation as part of the AEB, depending on the circumstances in each area.For some BSL courses, Advanced Learner Loans (ALLs) are available. Parents can find more information about which qualifications are eligible at: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

Pupils: Bullying

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department is taking to tackle bullying in schools.

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle cyber bullying in schools.

Claire Coutinho: The department has sent a clear message to schools that bullying, including cyberbullying, for whatever reason, is unacceptable. It can have a devastating effect on individuals, harm their education, and have serious and lasting consequences for their mental health.All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.We recognise that bullying of any kind can now just as easily occur online as face-to-face. Cyberbullying can be a means by which face-to face-bullying is extended beyond the school day and by which bullying can start online and follow the child into school.The department is providing over £3 million of funding between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2024 to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.In November 2018, the department published ’Respectful School Communities’, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole-school approach which promotes respect and discipline. This can combat bullying, harassment and prejudice of any kind, including sexual bullying and sexual harassment. It will help schools to identify the various elements that make up a whole school approach, consider gaps in their current practice, and get further support. Respectful School Communities is available at: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.​We are also making sure that all children in England will learn about respectful relationships, in person and online, as part of new mandatory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). These subjects are designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe, and healthy lives and to foster respect for other people and difference, and to include teaching about online safety and harms.

Special Educational Needs: Teachers

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Multi-Sensory Impairment fund with £34.3 million ring-fenced funding available to local authorities in England to increase the number of Multi-Sensory Impairment teachers.

Claire Coutinho: The department is firmly committed to ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with multi-sensory impairments, receive the support they need to succeed in their early years, at school and at college.High needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND, including those with multi-sensory impairment, will be rising to £10.1 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, which is an increase of over 50% from the 2019/20 allocations. This extra funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with SEND.The department has no current plans to create a new and separate funding stream specifically for the education of children with multi-sensory impairment. Local authorities and schools have responsibilities for supporting all children and young people with SEND under the Children and Families Act 2014, including those with multi-sensory impairment. They are best placed to decide how to prioritise their spending on the range of resources and activities that will best support them.

Special Educational Needs: Neurodiversity

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to help children with (a) autism, (b) ADHD and (c) other neuro-diverse conditions in mainstream education.

Claire Coutinho: In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) improvement plan, the department set out our vision to improve mainstream education through setting standards for early and accurate identification of needs and timely access to support to meet those needs, including for autistic and neurodiverse children and young people. The standards will clarify the types of support that should be ordinarily available in mainstream settings, who is responsible for securing the support and from which budgets. The SEND and AP improvement plan can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-and-alternative-provision-improvement-plan.The department will also develop new practice guides to support frontline professionals. The first three practice guides will be published by the end of 2025, focusing on advice for mainstream settings, and will include a practice guide on autism.To support the needs of pupils with SEND, particularly in mainstream settings where most of these learners are educated, the department has funded the Universal Services programme. This programme, backed by almost £12 million, will help the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with autism, earlier and more effectively. It will also help them successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment. The programme includes autism awareness training, which over 80,000 professionals have already undertaken.Improving joined-up support is vital. The Department for Education is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care on the cross-government Autism Strategy, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-strategy-for-autistic-children-young-people-and-adults-2021-to-2026/the-national-strategy-for-autistic-children-young-people-and-adults-2021-to-2026#improving-autistic-children-and-young-peoples-access-to-education-and-supporting-positive-transitions-into-adulthood-1. A key theme of this is improving autistic children and young people’s access to education and supporting positive transitions into adulthood.

Children: Electronic Cigarettes

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of underage vaping on children’s (a) concentration and (b) attainment at school.

Nick Gibb: Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises.Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include e-cigarettes or vapes. School staff can search pupils for banned items, as outlined in the Department’s ‘Searching, screening and confiscation at school’ guidance, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.The relationships and sex education and health education statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug-taking.To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department has published a suite of teacher training modules, including one on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes and vaping.

Further Education: Teachers

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential impact on student enrolment of workforce recruitment and retention levels in the further education sector.

Robert Halfon: The department estimates enrolment of students in 16-19 education for the purpose of forecasting required funding, but this does not reflect an estimate of teacher supply. However, the department works closely with the sector to continually review the evidence around the impact of workforce supply and demand. We know the further education (FE) sector will need to grow the overall size of its teaching workforce due to the roll-out of T Levels, which require more teaching hours, and due to demographic pressures and the delivery of other important skills reforms.To support providers to recruit and retain teachers, the department is increasing the level of overall investment in the FE sector. The Spending Review 2021 made an extra £1.6 billion available for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year compared with 2021/22. The department has boosted specific programme cost weightings by 10% in the 2023/24 financial year to support the additional costs of recruiting and retaining staff in construction, manufacturing, engineering, and digital subject areas.The department is also supporting teacher recruitment in the sector through a national campaign to encourage industry professionals to become FE teachers. Our Taking Teaching Further programme has supported around 1,000 industry professionals to train as FE teachers since 2018. The department is providing bursaries worth up to £29,000 each, tax free, to support FE teacher training in priority subject areas for the 2023/24 academic year.The department is also offering early career support for teachers in the form of access to a trained mentor through our Teacher Mentoring Programme, which was announced in March 2023. We will continue to work with the sector to consider options for providing further support so that all learners are able to benefit from high-quality teaching.

Further Education: Teachers

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding to help support the recruitment and retention of staff in further education colleges.

Robert Halfon: The department is making significant investments to support the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers. The Spending Review 2021 made an extra £1.6 billion available for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year, compared with 2021/22. We are investing £125 million of available funds in the 2023/24 financial year for 16-19 education to increase the national funding rate by 2.2% from £4,542 to £4,642, and boost specific programme cost weightings by 10%, to support the additional costs of recruiting and retaining teachers in construction, manufacturing, engineering, and digital subject areas.The department is supporting teacher recruitment in the sector through a national campaign to encourage industry professionals to become further education (FE) teachers. We have supported the creation of new, high-quality routes into FE teaching, including a revised Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship for those planning to work in the FE sector. We are providing bursaries worth up to £29,000 each, tax free, to support FE teacher training in priority subject areas for the 2023/24 academic year.Our Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme has supported around 1,000 people to retrain as FE teachers since it launched in 2018. In addition, the department is piloting a new £6,000 financial incentive for TTF recruits teaching in some of the most hard-to-fill subject areas, including digital, construction and the built environment, engineering and manufacturing, and maths.

Cabinet Office

Former Ministers: Public Inquiries

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2023 to Question 187732 on Former Ministers: Public Inquiries, how many occasions has legal support been provided to former ministers on matters relating to their personal conduct.

Jeremy Quin: Former ministers may be supported with legal representation after they have left office when matters relate to their time and conduct as a Minister of the Crown. The Cabinet Office does not maintain statistics on the total number of occasions legal support has been provided to former ministers. The Ministerial Code and the Cabinet Manual provide guidance on personal liability in the context of legal proceedings for ministers and, in the case of the latter, former ministers.

Dahua Technology and Hikvision: CCTV

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has purchased any products manufactured by Hikvision or Dahua in the last three years.

Alex Burghart: We can confirm that the Cabinet Office has not contracted directly with either of the named suppliers during the period in question.As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the government’s security arrangements. This includes any specific details regarding the make and model of security systems, which are withheld on national security grounds.Each Department is responsible for their own procurement decisions. Details of Government contracts above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).

Department for Business and Trade

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department plans to publish the impact assessment of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Nigel Huddleston: The Impact Assessment for the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership will be published shortly after signature of the agreement’s Accession Protocol.

Business: Exports

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much UK diplomatic posts charge businesses for export support.

Nigel Huddleston: The majority of DBT support to exporters in the UK and overseas is delivered at no cost to businesses. This support ranges from our innovative Export Academy to the Export Support Service, from our International Markets hubs in nine regions globally through to the in-market expertise of DBT teams in Embassies and Consulates around the world.We do levy a charge for some additional services, for example the exclusive use of UK Government property for events or the Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) which provides market intelligence and connections at a rate of £55 per hour exclusive of VAT.

Plastics: Taxation

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of consulting on (a) whether and (b) how chemically-recycled content could be accounted for through the Plastics Packaging Tax using a mass balance chain of custody model.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: I discussed this matter with my Hon. Friend the former Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in April this year. The consultation will be published later this year and further information will be provided in due course. The Government is committed to developing an approach which supports the commercialisation of the UK chemical recycling sector, whilst maintaining the integrity and supporting the objectives of the Plastic Packaging Tax.

Housing: Construction

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of fraudulent practices in the housebuilding industry on public confidence in the housebuilding industry.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department for Business and Trade has made no such assessment.  Regarding labour fraud, HM Revenue and Customs recognise, and regularly assess, labour fraud within the construction industry and use the full range of civil and criminal powers where they identify fraudulent activity.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will review the application of the national minimum wage to seafarers working in renewable energy zones.

Kevin Hollinrake: National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation applies to those who work or ordinarily work in the UK, as well as to some workers on UK-registered ships. We have a proud record of ex-tending the NMW to seafarers.In October 2020, legislation came into force to extend the minimum wage to all seafarers on domestic voyages in the UK territorial sea or UK section of the continental shelf.We will continue to consider the needs of all sectors of the economy and take measures where these are needed, taking an evidence-based approach if any further changes to the NMW legislation are needed.

Apprentices and Young People: Minimum Wage

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made a recent assessment of the implications for her policies of removing the (a) National Minimum Wage youth rate and (b) apprenticeship rate.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Low Pay Commission (LPC) is an independent and expert body that makes annual recommendations to Government on the National Minimum Wage (NMW) . Every year, the LPC undertake extensive research and consultation and considers the wider impacts from changes to the minimum wage. The youth labour market is more sensitive to economic shocks, and young people can be exposed to longer-term scarring effects of unemployment. So we’re rightly more cautious for this group and do not want to harm the young workers whom the policy is intended to benefit. Finally, the Apprentice NMW is set at a rate which acknowledges the particular costs for employers and benefits for young people involved in providing apprenticeships.

Trade Unions: Vetting

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the blacklisting of trade unions.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government is clear that blacklisting is completely unacceptable and has no place in modern employment relations. The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 made it unlawful for an individual or organisation to compile, sell or make use of a blacklist of trade union members or those who have taken part in trade union activities. Any individual or trade union who believes they have been the victim of blacklisting can enforce their rights under the regulations through an employment tribunal or the county court. The 2010 blacklisting regulations are reinforced by powers in the Data Protection Act 2018, protecting use of personal data, including information on trade union membership and sensitive personal data. The Information Commissioner’s Office regulates use of personal data and investigates breaches of the Data Protection Act 2018. It has the power to take enforcement action, including searching premises, issuing enforcement notices and imposing fines for serious breaches. Anyone with evidence that blacklisting is taking place should present it to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Help to Grow Schemes

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she made an assessment of alternatives to the Help to Grow: Digital Scheme before announcing the closure of that scheme on 15 December 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department considered alternative options to deliver the Help to Grow: Digital scheme before announcing its closure however we could not justify its continued cost to the taxpayer due to the lower than expected take up. The decision to close the scheme enabled the Government to refocus efforts towards other support mechanisms for small businesses, ensuring businesses get the backing they need in the most efficient and productive way possible. The Help to Grow: Management scheme remains in place and includes a module to assist in understanding digital adoption.

Minimum Wage

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent estimate she has made of the level of compliance with the National Minimum Wage.

Kevin Hollinrake: All businesses – irrespective of their size or business sector – are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. The government takes enforcing the minimum wage seriously and has more than doubled the budget for compliance and enforcement to £27.8 million for 2022/23, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16. Since 2015, the Government has ordered employers to repay over £100 million to over 1 million workers.

Help to Grow Schemes: Voucher Schemes

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many vouchers issued under the help to grow digital scheme were successfully claimed for (a) accounting, (b) e-commerce and (c) customer relationship software.

Kevin Hollinrake: The number of claimed vouchers issued for each software type were as follows: a) Accountancy – 191 Vouchers.b) E-commerce – 203 Vouchers.c) Customer Relationship Management – 436 Vouchers.

Help to Grow Schemes

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department conducted any impact assessments on the design of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department conducted a Public Sector Equality Duty impact assessment during the development of the programme. A business impact assessment was not required as the scheme was not enacted through legislation or regulation however options were assessed as part of the development of the business case. An evaluation is being undertaken to understand lessons to be learned from the design of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme following its closure. These findings will be applied to future policies, including within digital adoption.

Citizens Advice: Training

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made provision for (a) familiarisation costs and (b) other transition costs to help ensure Citizens Advice can answer queries on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill.

Kevin Hollinrake: My department works very closely with Citizens Advice, providing funding on behalf of all Whitehall departments and the Welsh Government to support the provision of advice and advocacy including consumer. We are providing total funding of £44 million in the current financial year. We were also able to provide an additional one-off uplift of £3 million at the end of the previous financial year and will continue to work closely with Citizens Advice on their priorities and resources as the current year progresses.

Trade Unions: Strikes

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to clause 234E(1)(b) of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, if she will outline what reasonable steps she would expect a trade union to take in order to ensure that all members of the union who are identified in the work notice comply with that notice; and whether this instruction is compatible with (a) trade union governance structures and (b) the requirements of the Certification Officer.

Kevin Hollinrake: The certification officer is responsible for regulating trade union finance and governance but has no locus in relation to industrial action.There are a range of steps that trade unions could take, and what is considered reasonable will depend on each specific situation. However, a trade union should not call a union member identified in a work notice as required to work on a particular day out on strike that day. The trade union could also encourage those individual members to comply with the work notice and make it clear in their general communication with members that where members are named in a work notice, and therefore required to work on a particular day, they should attend work on that strike day.

Business: Subscriptions

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make it her policy to require businesses offering automatically-renewing subscriptions to send consumers a reminder message with an option to opt-out before their renewal date; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill strengthens consumers’ rights in relation to auto-renewing contracts, enabling them to manage them more effectively. Under the new rules, traders must send consumers reminder notices before a trial or contract auto-renews, or at roughly 6 month intervals for shorter renewing contracts. The notice will include information on the steps the consumer can take to bring the contract to an end. In addition, a new ‘cooling-off period’ will give consumers 14 days to cancel certain contracts after they auto-renew to a period of 12 months or more, or after a free or discounted trial.

Leader of the House

Statutory Instruments

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Leader of the House, how many Statutory instruments required (a) correcting and (b) replacing in the last five sessions.

Penny Mordaunt: Correction slips are used to correct typographical errors. A statutory instrument (SI) containing a substantive error must be replaced by amending secondary legislation. This is issued under the free issue procedure, further information on which can be found at page 128 of the National Archives’ Statutory Instrument Practice (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/pdfs/StatutoryInstrumentPractice_5th_Edition.pdf).The National Archives holds information on SI statistics by calendar year. Information from 2016 to 2022, which covers the last five parliamentary sessions, is provided below. Correction slips issued for made SIsNumber of SIs made and issued under the free issue procedure202267662021671122020967720199557201863352017713020166423 Information on SIs replacing legislation not issued under the free issue procedure is not held centrally. To provide this information would therefore incur disproportionate cost.

Government Bills

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Leader of the House, what the average number of clauses in government bills that received Royal Assent was in the last five sessions.

Penny Mordaunt: In the last five sessions, the following number of Government Bills reached Royal Assent:SessionNumber of Bills reaching Royal Assent2021-22342019-2144201932017-19512016-1732 The average number of clauses in Government Bills that received Royal Assent in that period is not held centrally. To provide this information would therefore incur disproportionate cost. The full text of each Government Act from each of the last five sessions is available on legislation.gov.uk.

Illegal Migration Bill

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of scrutiny of the Illegal Migration Bill in the light of the date of publication of an impact assessment of that Bill.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is clear that Parliament should have the information it needs and that impact assessments should be published, where possible, when legislation is laid before Parliament.On 13th March 2023, the House agreed a programme motion for the Illegal Migration Bill. The Bill will receive further scrutiny when it returns to the House for consideration of Lords amendments on the 11th July 2023.The Hon. Member may wish to note that the Home Office also published the Child’s Rights Impact Assessment on the 5th July 2023.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Carbon Capture and Storage

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make a comparative assessment of the Government making (a) fixed payments to operators of Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage based on how much CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and (b) through using carbon pricing in helping to incentivise carbon capture and storage by Bioenergy producers.

Graham Stuart: The Government assessed and consulted in August 2022 on options for the business model to deploy power Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (‘BECCS’). A response was published in March 2023. The preferred approach for the business model was confirmed as being the ‘Dual CfD’, consisting of a ‘CfDe’ which values the electricity generated and a ‘CfDc’ which values the carbon stored and associated negative emissions. The UK ETS Authority has announced its intention to include engineered removals in the UK ETS, to incentivise investment and support deployment of these technologies. These technologies could include those within scope of the power BECCS business model. The Authority aims to carry out a further consultation in 2023.

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund on carbon emissions.

Graham Stuart: Deployment projects supported by the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) will begin delivering energy and carbon emissions savings by 2027. Applicants must provide evidence on savings that their projects could deliver. The Government does not have a view of the overall carbon emissions savings from IETF projects, as the assessment of the final round of applications is ongoing.Carbon emissions impacts will be monitored, and the Government intends to publish a full impact evaluation of the IETF once data is available. Beneficiaries are required to produce Monitoring & Verification (M&V) plans for collecting data on their projects over a 5-year monitoring period.

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding his Department has provided through phase (a) one and (b) two of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.

Graham Stuart: The £289m Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) has run six competition windows to date: Phase 1 of the IETF opened in 2020, and the final window of Phase 2 closed at the beginning of 2023.As of July 2023, the Government has already allocated funding to over 130 projects and studies worth around £167.9 million. Allocations by Phase are as follows:Phase 1: £48.2mPhase 2: £119.6mFurther IETF allocations will be made once funding decisions for the final window of Phase 2 have concluded in Summer this year.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Future Offshore Wind Scenarios project estimated the number of jobs that would be supported by deploying sufficient offshore wind capacity to meet the Government's net zero target in 2050.

Graham Stuart: The Future Offshore Wind Scenarios project did not estimate numbers of jobs. The Offshore Wind Industry Council’s Skills Intelligence Report 2023 estimates that employment in the offshore wind sector will rise from over 32,000 in 2022 to over 104,000 by 2030.

Energy: Chronic Illnesses

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an energy social tariff for people living with (a) cystic fibrosis and (b) other long-term conditions.

Amanda Solloway: As set out in the autumn statement, we are exploring the best approach to consumer protection from April 2024, as part of wider retail market reforms. Officials are engaging with stakeholders with a view to targeting support for the most vulnerable and alleviating fuel poverty.

Nuclear Power: Contracts

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what guidance he issues to new nuclear developers of Small and Advanced Modular Reactors on the price they will receive for their energy production; and if he will put in place a permission-free price hurdle for the development of new nuclear facilities which could set a Contract for Difference strike price.

Andrew Bowie: Funding models, including the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) and Contract for Difference (CfD) are being considered for SMRs. The appropriate funding model for each new nuclear project will be determined in due course.

Nuclear Power

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support applications for development sites from new nuclear developers of (a) small and (b) advanced modular reactors before the Great British Nuclear funding competition opens.

Andrew Bowie: GBN will work across Government to support access to potential sites for new nuclear projects to achieve its long-term ambition. There is growing local and regional interest in a number of sites for further nuclear development. GBN would welcome any conversations with stakeholders who are considering whether their land might be suitable for the deployment of nuclear facilities in future.

Energy: Insulation

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to launch publicity campaigns on the take up of energy efficient insulation measures.

Graham Stuart: The Government’s consumer facing energy efficiency campaign It All Adds Up, targeted all UK adults with advice on energy saving measures. The Great British Insulation Scheme will also run until 2026 and support around 300,000 households to insulate their homes. Whilst the marketing and delivering of the scheme is industry led, the Government is looking to improve its energy advice and information service to make it easier for people to see if they are eligible for schemes like the Great British Insulation Scheme. The Government will support industries' promotion of the scheme and communicate improvements to the advice service when ready.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to secure (a) employment and (b) training for UK resident workers on the six projects that were successful in Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4; and what the current status is of each of those projects.

Graham Stuart: All large offshore wind projects must submit a supply chain plan to the Government when bidding for support from the Contracts for Difference scheme. These plans include an applicant’s commitments on addressing skill gaps and shortages. Leasing Round 4 projects have not yet bid for Contracts for Difference due to their stage in the development cycle. All six projects are preparing Development Consent Applications. The Green Jobs Delivery Group is the central forum for action on green jobs and skills. Through this forum the Government is delivering its green jobs commitments as outlined in the Net Zero Strategy, and the Powering Up Britain Plan.

Environment Protection: Job Creation

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many jobs the Green Jobs Delivery Group has delivered to date; and if he will set annual green job delivery targets for each year to 2030 for each industrial sector.

Graham Stuart: The Powering Up Britain plan sets out how the Government will grow the economy whilst decarbonising and supporting up to 480,000 jobs in 2030. Over 80,000 jobs are being supported or in the pipeline because of new government policies and spending since 2020. The Government does not plan to set job targets, but is focused on delivering green jobs. In 2024, the Green Jobs Delivery Group will publish a Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Israel: Palestinians

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities on (a) recent and (b) possible future demolitions of Palestinian schools in the occupied territories.

David Rutley: The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to international humanitarian law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. Most recently, on 7 May, The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, to express the government's opposition to the demolition of Jubbet Adh Dhib school. Lord Ahmad has also visited a school under threat of demolition in Masafer Yatta during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January.

Israeli Settlements

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Israel's compliance with paragraph 4 of UN Security Council Resolution 2334.

David Rutley: We have long supported resolutions consistent with our policy, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. The UK's position on settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution and indeed contribute to the negative trends that imperil the two-state solution. We urge Israel to halt settlement expansion immediately and we continue to monitor the changes to the settlement approval process instituted by the Government of Israel on June 18, which facilitate swifter approval of construction in settlements.

UNRWA: Finance

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to increase funding to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

David Rutley: While the seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, the UK remains a longstanding supporter to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) and values its importance as a vital humanitarian and stabilising force in the region. In the financial year 2022/2023, the UK provided UNRWA with £18.7 million and in 2023/4 our funding is approximately £10 million. Our annual contribution to their programme budget helps UNRWA provide education to over 533,000 children a year (half of them girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees. We are aware of UNRWA's financial challenges and frequently raise this with MENA regional partners at ministerial level, most recently with the government of the United Arab Emirates. To that end, the UK Government is working with UNRWA and other international donors to help ensure its sustainability.

Israel: Palestinians

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterparts on the potential impact of the Israeli permit system on Palestinian mothers from Gaza with babies receiving treatment in East Jerusalem hospitals.

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Israeli authorities on reports of the forced transfer of Palestinian patients from Palestinian to Israeli ambulances to enter occupied East Jerusalem.

David Rutley: Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of regularised access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities. We recognise that under international humanitarian law, Israel, as the occupying power, has a duty of ensuring and maintaining public health to the fullest extent of the means available to it. The wounded and ill in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) should be able to access the urgent medical care they need.

Development Aid: Staff

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff are working on policies under the UK International Development brand.

David Rutley: As the Foreign Secretary stated in his oral evidence to the International Development Committee on 20 June, although not everyone in the FCDO is a development professional, everyone should be thinking about, talking about and helping to deliver the development priorities set out in the International Development Strategy. Development is at the heart of our foreign policy and is a core part of all of our work. We do not therefore hold a list of officials working on development policy.

Development Aid: Training

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the letter of 13 June 2023 from the Minister for Development and Africa to the Chair of the International Development Committee on the provisional statistics on international development for 2022, whose responsibility it is to train Government Departments on how to administer Official Development Assistance.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Departments are responsible for assessing their own Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligibility of spend, correctly administering and reporting ODA. Rules on ODA-eligibility are set by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC), which FCDO consult as required. The FCDO provides assistance and guidance to departments, particularly on the ODA rules and reporting requirements, to ensure compliance with DAC criteria and the standards set by the UK's Code of Practice for Official Statistics.Every year, all government departments spending ODA are invited to a working level ODA learning day, delivered by the FCDO. The sessions cover the ODA rules, managing the UK's ODA commitment and reporting in line with the ODA rules.In addition, the FCDO provides targeted support and advice to departments throughout the year as required.

India and Kenya: British International Investment

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that investments made by British Investment International are supporting public health infrastructure in (a) India and (b) Kenya.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Since 2017, British International Investment's (BII) healthcare investments have been guided by a health impact framework [https://www.bii.co.uk/en/emerging-markets-investment/evaluating-the-impact-of-private-providers-on-health-and-health-systems/] which focuses on investing in private-healthcare providers that have a positive impact on the overall healthcare system. BII's investments are subject to its Policy of Responsible Investing.In India, BII investment has supported the delivery of quality care to more than 2 million low-income patients including in underserved parts of central and eastern India. In Kenya, BII investment supports healthcare clinics and pharmacies that provide for more than 430,000 patient visits per month with over half of patients coming from low to very low-income groups. BII investments also provide access to a medical consultation with a nurse for KES 300-600 ($2-$4).

British International Investment: Human Rights

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure recipients of intermediated investments by British International Investment are not involved in human rights abuses.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Intermediated investments allow Development Finance Institution's to effectively: provide smaller levels of financing, raise standards in the wider market, support the development of local institutions, and mobilise other capital.British International Investment's (BII) Policy on Responsible Investing [https://assets.bii.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22114326/Policy-on-Responsible-Investing.pdf] sets out BII's business integrity and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) expectations. This includes drawing on the standards set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Legally binding Business Integrity and ESG action plans are developed to improve standards of all investees over a defined period; and investees are risk assessed on a quarterly basis across various dimensions of risk including ESG and business integrity.High environmental, social and business integrity risks are reported to FCDO and there is an established process for escalation of significant incidents.

Sudan: British Nationals Abroad

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further steps he plans to take to protect UK nationals tin Sudan after a ceasefire.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is supporting international efforts to secure a permanent cessation of hostilities and protection of civilians, including any remaining British nationals. However, the British Embassy in Khartoum is temporarily closed and there are no British consular staff in Sudan. Our ability to provide consular assistance is therefore severely limited. We advise all British nationals to monitor the Sudan Travel Advice which includes details of our 24/7 consular assistance helpline. We continue to work alongside our international counterparts from Africa, Quad (KSA, UAE, UK, US) and European countries, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN, to bring an end to the ongoing violence taking place across Sudan, the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of all in Sudan.

British International Investment: Health Services

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of investments in private healthcare providers by British International Investment on (a) people living in poverty and (b) women and girls.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: British International Investment's (BII) investments are scrutinised by independent evaluators through the FCDO-BII Evaluation and Learning Programme.Each sector evaluation includes analysis of the poverty alleviation and gender impact. Recommendations for improving impact and BII responses are published on FCDO's and BII's website. A multi-sector evaluation is currently under way, which includes a review of BII's healthcare portfolio.In addition, BII commissions and publishes its own case studies, evaluations, and evidence reviews to help better understand the impact of its investments. Relevant case studies and evaluations include the impact of access to finance for healthcare facilities in Kenya [https://www.bii.co.uk/en/news-insight/insight/articles/what-is-the-impact-of-improved-access-to-finance-for-healthcare-facilities-in-kenya/] and investing for impact in India [https://assets.bii.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/06212044/Investing-for-impact-in-India_BII.pdf].

British International Investment: Accountability

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) due diligence and (b) accountability mechanisms his Department has in place for British International Investment; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of those mechanisms.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: British International Investment (BII) undertakes impact, commercial, environmental, social (including gender and diversity), governance and business integrity due diligence by specialist teams over a period of several months prior to a decision by the Investment Committee. Enhanced due diligence is undertaken for projects viewed to be high risk. BII has an established confidential complaints mechanism [https://www.bii.co.uk/en/complaints-whistleblowing/], which allows anyone outside BII to report alleged breaches of the Policy on Responsible Investing by an investee, portfolio company of a fund or BII. BII regularly reports to FCDO on both environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Business Integrity issues. FCDO undertakes periodic reviews of BII's assurance processes and recommends actions to improve their robustness, and monitors implementation of these.

Sudan: Embassies

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made changes to the contract status of local staff employed by the Sudanese Embassy since 15 April 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Sudanese staff were placed on Special Paid Leave at the outset of conflict in April. We are in discussion with the Country Based Staff Association on the future posture of the Embassy. This may lead to exits if there is not a sustainable way to continue employment of Country Based Staff.

Cyprus: Politics and Government

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2023 to Question HL7520 on Cyprus: Politics and Government, whether his Department is taking steps to broker confidence-building measures on trade and travel between Greek and Turkish Cypriots following recent elections in Greece and Turkey.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2023 to Question HL7520 on Cyprus: Politics and Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the recent elections in Greece and Turkey on the prospects for a peaceful and equitable resolution of tensions on Cyprus.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2023 to Question HL7520 on Cyprus: Politics and Government, whether he has had discussions with the leaders of communities in Cyprus on establishing a sustainable, bi-zonal and bi-communal federal political settlement in the period since the recent elections in Greece and Turkey.

Leo Docherty: The UK Government remains committed to supporting UN efforts to reach a Cyprus Settlement within the UN parameters based on the model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality. We engage with all parties on this. I [Minister Docherty] discussed Settlement with President Christodoulides, Foreign Minister (FM) Kombos and Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar on 10 May. The Foreign Secretary also met FM Kombos on 16 June and discussed Settlement with him. The UK Government believes that, with flexibility, sufficient common ground to start formal negotiations can potentially be found. In the meantime, the UK continues to support confidence-building initiatives to build links between the communities to prepare for any future Settlement.

Iraq and Syria: Islamic State

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to provide support to people testifying against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

David Rutley: We condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Daesh against all civilians. The UK led the UN Security Council to establish the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL (UNITAD) which has enabled the Government of Iraq to support people testifying against Daesh. We also advocated for the passing of the Yazidi Survivors Law, an important first step toward assistance and justice for survivors of sexual violence by Daesh. The UK is committed to helping Iraq fully implement the legislation, including providing funding support to the Directorate of Yazidi Affairs. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon met Yazidi communities and religious and political leaders to hear their experiences and reiterate UK support during his recent visit to Iraq.

Iraq and Syria: Minority Groups

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect (a) women, (b) religious minorities and (c) other vulnerable groups in (i) Iraq and (ii) Syria.

David Rutley: We are committed to the safety and security of all civilians, including vulnerable groups in Iraq and Syria. The UK led the UN Security Council to establish the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD). We also advocated for the passing of the Iraqi Yazidi Survivors Law. The UK provides specialised protection services, including for survivors of Gender Based Violence, psycho-social support and sexual and reproductive health services.Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a longstanding priority for the UK and we are firmly committed to the protection of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Officers: Sexual Offences

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been (a) found to have committed sexual misconduct at work and (b) dismissed for reasons of sexual misconduct in each of the last five years.

Damian Hinds: Information on the number of bands 3 to 5 prison officers who were subject to Conduct and Discipline for the charge of sexual assault/harassment are given in table 1 and the outcomes of the cases are given in Table 2 below. Figures are presented by financial years.There is not a specific charge of ‘sexual misconduct’ and so figures for the charge of ‘sexual assault/ harassment’ are given.The vast majority of prison officers are hardworking and honest, and we will never hesitate to take the strongest possible action against the small minority who break the law.Table 1: Headcount of band 3-5 prison officers1 disciplined2 for charge of sexual harassment/assault, by financial year 01 April to 31 March 2017/18 - 2021/22 (p) 2017/20182018/20192019/20202020/20212021/2022TotalHeadcount81110183178Table 2: Number of penalties imposed3 on band 3-5 prison officers1 disciplined2 for sexual harassment/assault, by financial year 01 April to 31 March 2017/18 - 2021/22 (p) 2017/20182018/20192019/20202020/20212021/2022TotalDismissal3443101031Other penalties447782147Total number of penalties581110183178Notes:1. Band 3-5 Officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl. specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.2. Staff with at least one conduct and discipline case concluded during the period. Conduct and discipline cases are defined as where a penalty has been imposed on a member of HMPPS staff for a reason of conduct.3. A dismissal case is defined as where at least one of the charges relating to an individual is recommended for dismissal. Information on the outcomes of any appeal is not included.4. Other penalties are only counted here where dismissal is not recommended. A finding of dismissal, in combination with other penalties is counted as a dismissal and not other penalty.5. A case can result in more than one penalty and staff have been counted once for each penalty imposed against them.(p)'Provisional data. There may be minor changes to figures from December 2017 onwards in future.

Reoffenders

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make a comparative assessment of reoffending rates in (a) the UK, (b) West Yorkshire, (c) Denmark and (d) other countries.

Damian Hinds: This Government is tackling the causes of reoffending to keep our communities safe.The overall proven reoffending rate for England and Wales was 24.4% in 2020/21, down from 31.6% in 2010/11, when we took over from the last Labour government. The overall proven reoffending rate for West Yorkshire in 2020/21 was 27.2%, down from 31.8% in 2010/11.Reoffending rates are not calculated for the whole of the UK – the rates for Scotland and Northern Ireland can be obtained separately from their respective government departments.Care should be taken when comparing reoffending rates both within the UK and internationally because the means of calculation between countries can vary and therefore data is not directly comparable.

Prisons: Recruitment

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of applications received for jobs in prisons at grade band three to five in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: Submission YearNumber of Applications -Band 3Number of Applications -Band 4Number of Applications -Band 5Total2017109,5206,2452,647118,4122018108,25910,1826,152124,593201973,70911,0944,82089,623202095,66712,1434,072111,882202184,59612,7395,308102,6432022112,03310,3664,425126,8242023 (January to March)37,0323,5371,46842,037 Notes1. Data was extracted from the Oleeo recruitment system. Oleeo is a live system, so records are subject to change.2. The figures used here are based on applications submitted between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2023 inclusive.3. Data was only collected on Oleeo from 1 April 2017 and so data is not available for earlier dates.4. Data for 2023 is incomplete and is only available up to and including 31 March 2023.5. Data provided shows the number of applications rather than the number of applicants since Oleeo data is at the application level.6. Figures included in our response only cover data available in our Oleeo system, so data for any recruitment that is not entirely processed on Oleeo will be incomplete.7. These figures include internal progression to Band 4 and 5 roles.8. These figures include applications to the ‘Unlocked Graduate Scheme’, and to Operational Support Grade to Prison Officer / Youth Justice Worker fast track campaigns.9. Figures do not include recruitment campaigns managed by external companies.10. This data only includes recruitment for Public Sector Prisons (PSP).11. The data request for PQ 192091 is similar to PQ 188603 and PQ 125377. If comparing these data sets, please note that figures in PQ 188603 and PQ 125377 cover applications for prison officer roles only. Data in PQ 192091 cover applications for all roles in Public Sector Prisons.12. Applications in prisons relate to any vacancies in Public Sector Prisons in England and Wales. This includes non-frontline vacancies and vacancies which list the base location as a non-prison establishment. It excludes anyone working in HMPPS HQ or the Probation Service. Due to cost limitations with the data, we are not able to identify all vacancies specifically located in prisons.

Court of Protection

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to make it easier for parents of young people with learning difficulties to apply to the Court of Protection for deputyship.

Mike Freer: The Government is committed to addressing barriers to provide better support to all individuals who lack mental capacity.For example, the Court of Protection has reviewed its application processes, and at the beginning of the year launched a new, simpler online system which has reduced wating times from 24 weeks to 8 weeks following the results of a successful pilot. We have also recently published new guidance for families on how to make financial decisions on behalf of a young person who lacks mental capacity, which includes a guide to the Court of Protection application process. Families may also now be eligible for a fee remission for their applications, even after their child has turned 18.We will continue to review and revise the process and the court will continue to identify areas for improvement.

Ministry of Justice: Buildings

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of amount of unused office capacity there is within his Department's headquarters.

Mike Freer: The Ministry of Justice fully utilises the office space it occupies within its headquarters building.

Criminal Proceedings: Warrington North

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whatrecent estimatehehas madeofthesizeofthebacklogofcriminalcourt casesinWarrington North constituency.

Mike Freer: The number of outstanding cases at the magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court are routinely published as part of the National Statistics release Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly. The latest published data is available to December 2022 and can be found at the following link: Criminal court statistics quarterly: October to December 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). For the Crown Court, figures are published specifically for the North West. For magistrates’ courts, the Cheshire Local Justice Area is the closest match available. For further data relating to the Cheshire Local Justice Area, the Criminal Justice Delivery Data Dashboard is published quarterly and can be found at the following link: Criminal justice system overview - CJS Dashboard.The published data for the Crown Court are found here: Crown Court cases received, disposed and outstanding tool, and the published data for the magistrates’ court are found here: Magistrates' courts cases received, disposed and outstanding tool.

Family Courts: Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing children to be present at family courts.

Mike Freer: The Government has not made an assessment of the merits of allowing children to be present in the family courts. In family proceedings the child’s welfare is of paramount consideration and as part of its considerations the court is required to take the wishes and feelings of children into account, in line with their age and level of understanding.Cafcass ensure the child’s voice is heard at the heart of the family court setting, in both public and private law proceedings. In order to ensure a child is involved in proceedings, Cafcass may provide the child the opportunity to write a letter or draw a picture to the judge in the case, the child may also be provided with the opportunity to meet with the judge. A Cafcass family court advisor will submit their own analysis of the evidence and ensure that the child’s wishes and views are properly represented. We increased funding to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) by £8.4 million in the last financial year.Part 16(2) of the Family Procedure Rules details that a child may be made a party to family court proceedings if it is in their best interests to do so. Where a child is made party to proceedings, a guardian or litigation friend will be appointed to safeguard the child’s interests. Under part 16(6) of the rules the court may grant a child the right to conduct proceedings without a guardian or litigation friend so long as the court is satisfied the child has sufficient understanding to participate as a party.In response to the Harm Panel report, the Government committed to exploring how to enhance the voice of the child in private law proceedings to ensure children’s wishes and views are central to proceedings concerning them. This includes the launch of the Integrated Domestic Abuse Court pilots in February 2022 where we are trialling a new model which in part aims to enhance the ‘voice of the child’ in proceedings. As part of the evaluation of the pilots we will be working with partners and stakeholders to assess methods of child engagement and understand more about how and when children want to be involved in the court process.

Department for Work and Pensions

Pensions

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of options for accessing defined contribution pension savings under the Pension SchemesAct(2015).

Laura Trott: The Government is committed to ensuring that people have the support and information they need to make informed choices about their financial future. The Government ensures everyone has access to free impartial pension guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). The Stronger Nudge to pensions guidance regulations, which came into force on 1 June 2022, ensures no-one will be able to access their savings through pension freedoms without having received Pension Wise guidance or opted out of receiving it. As part of the application process, schemes offer to book a Pension Wise appointment for individuals, supporting them to access the right guidance at the right time. This is likely to be one of the reasons for 16% more Pension Wise appointments attended between July 2022 and March 2023 than in the same period in 2021/22. The midlife MOT is supporting people in their 40s, 50s and 60s to plan their next career move and better prepare for later life by taking stock of their finances, skills and health. We are delivering this through three different channels, providing free online support; face to face to eligible Universal Credit claimants; and to employees via our private sector pilot. The Department is currently reviewing responses to our recent ‘Helping savers understand their pension choices’ call for evidence around the support and information savers need when accessing their pensions. We will respond to this in due course.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 2 and (b) 31 May 2023 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of constituents Lynda and Ian Wynne.

Mims Davies: A written reply was sent by the Complaint Resolution Team via email on 15/5/23, and a further copy was emailed on 2/6/23. We have also sent a further copy of this letter in the post to the House of Commons on 4/7/23.

Members: Correspondence

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to email correspondence of 14 June 2023 from the hon. Member for Sefton Central.

Mims Davies: The correspondence of the 14 June 2023 is being taken forward and a full response should be issued within the 20 working day target.

Weed Control: Health and Safety

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to publish guidance on the use of drones to spray bracken.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not plan to publish guidance on the use of drones to spray bracken with pesticides. HSE already accepts requests to permit the application of pesticides by drones and information is provided on HSE’s website, with potential applicants advised to contact HSE directly.

Household Support Fund

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing levels of funding for the Housing Support Fund.

Mims Davies: The Government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett impact, to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England this financial year. In England this is being delivered through an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their additional Barnett funding. Over £2.1bn in support has to date been allocated to Authorities in England since the scheme’s inception in October 2021, providing millions of awards to households in need with the cost of essentials. Local Authorities have the ties and local knowledge to best determine how this support should be provided to their local communities, and they have the discretion to design their own local schemes and manage their funds to best meet local need, within the parameters of the grant determination and guidance for the fund. Overall, the government is providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023- 24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living.

Universal Credit: Armed Forces

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides for Universal Credit claimants in Northern Ireland who have served in the Armed Forces on recording that employment period in official documentation.

Guy Opperman: The Administration of Universal Credit in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Department for Communities.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Swimming Pools: Local Government

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to question 191585 on Swimming Pools: Local Government, how many council-run lidos have been temporarily closed in each year since 2019.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many council-run lidos were in operation in England in each year between 2010 and 2019.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191585 on Swimming Pools: Local Government, which councils operate lidos.

Stuart Andrew: The Government does not directly hold data on individual lidos and Sport England data cannot be used to estimate the number of temporarily closed facilities at a point in the past.The numbers of lidos in operation in England on local authority owned sites from 2010-2019 are as follows:2010 – 892011 – 892012 – 842013 – 842014 – 852015 – 852016 – 842017 – 842018 – 822019 – 82As of July 2023, there are 81 lido pools across 63 local authority owned sites in England. The total number of facilities by local authority area is as follows:Barnet - 1Bedford - 1Bradford - 1Brighton and Hove - 1Buckinghamshire - 3Cambridge - 3Camden - 5Central Bedfordshire - 1Cheltenham - 2Cherwell - 1Cheshire East - 1Colchester - 1Cornwall - 3Dacorum - 1Derbyshire Dales - 1Dorset - 1East Hertfordshire - 2East Lindsey - 1Eden - 1Guildford - 1Hackney - 1Haringey - 2Hillingdon - 2Horsham - 1Lambeth - 1Medway - 1Mendip - 2Mid Sussex - 1New Forest - 1North Hertfordshire - 4North Kesteven - 1North West Leicestershire - 2Nuneaton and Bedworth - 1Oxford - 1Peterborough - 4Plymouth - 3Richmond upon Thames - 1Rushmoor - 1South Oxfordshire - 1South Somerset - 1St Albans - 1Stroud - 2Teignbridge - 1Tonbridge and Malling - 1Torbay - 1Vale of White Horse - 1Wandsworth - 2West Berkshire - 2West Oxfordshire - 2Wiltshire - 1Wokingham - 1Worthing - 1Wychavon - 1Of these, 10 lidos are temporarily closed (Bedford (1), Cornwall (2), Hillingdon (1), New Forest (1), North Hertfordshire (1), Peterborough (3), Worthing (1)).

Cricket: Equal Pay

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the implications for her policies of the disparity in earnings between male and female cricketers at a professional level.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is fully committed to supporting and growing women’s sport, from the grassroots through to elite competition. This includes cricket.However, we recognise that there is more to do. The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report notes that while progress has been made in the women’s game, there are still areas for concern. Clearly the sport needs to reflect carefully on these findings and consider how best to deliver clear and sustained cultural change across cricket, including around equitable treatment of men and women working within the sport. The Government will review the findings of the report and we welcome the ECB’s commitment to bring forward a plan to tackle these serious issues, which must be addressed fully.

BBC: Local Press

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposals in The BBC Across the UK on local newspapers.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Charter requires the BBC to consider its market impact and to ensure that it seeks to avoid unnecessary adverse impacts on competition, including local news. The BBC’s ‘Across the UK’ agenda sets out plans to move more of its operation and expenditure out of London, to fulfil its duty to support the creative economy across the UK.As the independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom assessed the BBC’s plans to increase its online local news output in December 2022. It concluded that the change was not one that may have a significant adverse impact on fair and effective competition, while also committing to monitor the implementation of the BBC’s proposals, with a view to addressing any emerging evidence of adverse impact on competition.In May 2022, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport launched the BBC Mid-Term Review, and the Terms of Reference, published in May 2022, stated that the Review will look at competition and market impact, including with regard to the local news market.We are engaging with stakeholders on this to understand their views.

King Charles III: Anniversaries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has made for the celebrations of His Majesty the King’s 75th birthday in November 2023.

Stuart Andrew: The official celebration of Sovereign's birthday took place on Saturday 17th June 2023 with the traditional ceremony of Trooping the Colour, The King's Birthday Parade. This was His Majesty’s first Birthday Parade as Sovereign, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport supported this important occasion through the flying of flags, including the Parade route of The Mall and Horse Guards Road.

Ministry of Defence

Reserve Forces: Recruitment

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the existing network of bases to facilitate recruitment to the reserve forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Armed Forces recruit nationally and do not operate a specific policy of increasing recruitment from particular geographic areas. Armed Forces Careers Offices and wider recruiting staff are spread across the UK and are complemented by dedicated call centres and online recruiting operations, ensuring that all communities have the same recruitment opportunities.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce discrimination in recruitment within the armed services.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK Armed Forces are a meritocracy. They will continue to ensure fair treatment of candidates for entry and career progression regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation or social background and will always aim to attract the best people from the widest talent pool to help create the most effective operational force, recognising that the organisation is strongest when it is made up of people with a broad range of skills, perspectives and backgrounds.When concerns are expressed that the Services are potentially falling short of their own high standards, action is taken to investigate and, where appropriate, rectify. For example, in September 2022, the Royal Air Force (RAF) initiated an independent Non-Statutory Inquiry (NSI) into RAF recruitment and the circumstances that had led to the resignation of the then Group Captain Recruiting and Selection. The NSI has now concluded and was published on 29 June 2023. The RAF have accepted all 12 recommendations; these either have been, or are in the process of being, implemented in full. A statement from the Chief of the Air Staff, which includes a link to the NSI, can be found at the following address: https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/chief-of-the-air-staff-statement-on-raf-recruiting-inquiry/

King Charles III: Anniversaries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with his Commonwealth counterparts on the prospect of an annual joint King’s Birthday parade.

Dr Andrew Murrison: There are no plans to include other elements of the UK Armed Forces or Commonwealth participation in the annual King’s Birthday Parade. The annual King’s Birthday Parade and the Trooping of the Colour is a parade and celebration that is unique to the Household Division – it does not include other elements of the British Army or the other Services. To include these, and potentially Commonwealth participation, would significantly change the historical and traditional aspects of this parade which has continued in essentially the same format for over a century. Those Commonwealth countries that recognise His Majesty The King as their Head of State celebrate his official birthday in their own way. Apart from the annual King’s Birthday Parade and the Trooping of the Colour, the UK Armed Forces do not celebrate the Sovereign’s birthdays. However, alongside the rest of the nation, they have traditionally celebrated significant milestones in the Sovereign’s reign; the recent pageants for Her Late Majesty The Queen’s major anniversaries of her accession are examples which have included representatives of Commonwealth Armed Forces.

Chiefs of Staff

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's timeline is for the new Chief of the General Staff to be (a) appointed and (b) in post.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his timeline is for holding interviews for a new Chief of the General Staff.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the serving Chief of the General Staff's term of office ends.

Dr Andrew Murrison: General Sir Patrick Sanders took up the post of Chief of the General Staff in June 2022 and will serve as head of the British Army for two years. The process of appointing a successor is ongoing.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with his NATO counterparts on contingency plans for potential attacks on countries that border Ukraine and are not part of NATO.

James Heappey: NATO is a defensive Alliance, and has made clear that it seeks stability and peace in the Euro-Atlantic area. The UK regularly consults with its NATO Allies to conduct prudent planning on a wide range of scenarios.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on which private military companies are operating alongside the Russian Armed Forces inside Ukraine.

James Heappey: Other than Wagner Group, the Ministry of Defence is unaware of any other entities that we would categorise as Private Military Companies operating alongside the Russian Armed Forces inside Ukraine.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister in his Department is responsible for the International Fund for Ukraine.

James Heappey: The lead Minister for the UK's participation in the International Fund for Ukraine is the Secretary of State for Defence.

Wagner Group

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will hold discussions with international counterparts on preventing violent activity by the Wagner group.

James Heappey: I have discussed the threat posed by the Wagner Group with international counterparts and will continue to do so. Violent activity by the Wagner Group clearly fuels instability and has contributed to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Defence has already established close working relationships with key international counterparts on this matter.

Ministry of Defence: Surveillance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 24 November 2022 on Security Update on Surveillance Equipment, WMS 386, whether they have (a) ceased deployment of visual surveillance systems produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China onto sensitive sites, (b) ensured no such equipment is connected to their departmental core network, (c) considered whether there are sites outside the definition of sensitive sites to which they would wish to extend risk mitigation and (d) put in place any additional controls or taken any further steps.

James Heappey: We take the security of our personnel, systems and establishments very seriously and have a range of measures in place to ensure the integrity of our arrangements. These measures are kept under constant review and adjusted according to the threat. It is, however, long standing policy that we do not comment on the detail of those arrangements.

Air Force: Black Sea

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what operation the RAF was carrying out over the Black Sea on 26 June 2023.

James Heappey: An unarmed RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft carried out a routine patrol in international airspace over the Black Sea on 26 June 2023.

Armed Forces: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of Service Family Accommodation properties were without gas safety certificates as of the 1 July 2023.

James Cartlidge: As of 1 July 2023, of the 43,928 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) which have a mains gas supply, 98.8% had a valid Landlord Gas Safety Inspections (LGSI) certificate. 223 occupied SFA were still outstanding.

Armed Forces: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide a breakdown of the average cost of energy bills for Service Family Accommodation properties for families who live in homes on (a) an MOD fuel supply and (b) the Fuel Subsidy Scheme in each of the last five years.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was of energy bills for Service Family Accommodation properties for families who live in homes on (a) an MOD fuel supply and (b) the Fuel Subsidy Scheme in each of the last five years.

James Cartlidge: A breakdown of the average cost and the total cost of energy bills for families who live Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties on Ministry of Defence (MOD) fuel supply and the Fuel Subsidy Scheme (FSS) can be found in the table below: Average cost to families per financial yearYear2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23SFA on MOD fuel supply£292.09£334.78£315.87£246.76£271.64SFA on FSSUnavailable£1,569.76£1,645.35£1,720.69£2,427.29 Total cost to families per financial yearYear2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23SFA on MOD fuel supply£706,072.49£866,833.94£751,220.20£737,455.38£707, 906.08SFA on FSSUnavailable£802,149.55£840,773.85£879,270.40£1,240,343.00 Due to a change in IT systems, information for financial year 2018-19 is not available and cannot be provided.

Armed Forces: Neurodiversity

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department offers support to people with neurodiversity conditions to help them join the UK armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence values diversity and is committed to recruiting and retaining the best people possible. We are extremely proud of the wide-ranging make up of our Armed Forces, including the many neurodiverse Service personnel within our ranks. It is important that our Armed Forces reflect the society they serve and benefits from the talent that is available. It is also essential that all new entrants to the Armed Forces have the capacity to serve in all respects for the period of their engagement, ensuring operational efficiency, safety for the individual and safety for others. Consequently, there are a number of conditions that are a bar to Service. The health and medical history of all individuals, as an Armed Forces applicant or a Serving person, is considered on a case-by-case basis. Candidates with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLDs), including Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia, can serve in the Armed Forces, if they meet the selection, training and performance standards. Service personnel with SLDs are provided with support appropriate to their needs, where feasible within Service and resource constraints. Training courses delivered by Defence are designed to be accessible to Service personnel with a range of differing requirements, including SLDs. Instructional staff are all provided with training on the best methods for teaching people with SLDs. While other conditions such as Autism and ADHD may be a bar to Service entry, this is not automatically the case. Every application is considered on a case-by-case basis by recruiting clinicians, who will make an individual assessment of the condition, its severity and the need for treatment. If an application is rejected on medical grounds, a candidate can appeal the decision to the recruiting Service, providing additional medical evidence if required. There is also an executive waiver process where the employing Service may, exceptionally, recruit someone who does not meet the existing entry standards. This may include individuals with unique specialist skills. This would also be determined on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are kept under continual review. This ensures they are fair to everyone with aspirations of an Armed Forces career and are informed by the latest evidence.

Armed Forces: Housing

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many gas safety certificates in Service Accommodation have (a) been approved and (b) remain unapproved as of 28 June 2023.

James Cartlidge: As at 28 June 2023 44,089 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) homes which have a mains gas supply (98.6%) have a valid gas safety certificate and 642 do not, of which 311 are occupied SFA properties. The statutory requirement to conduct a Landlord’s Gas Safety Inspection and to provide a certificate only applies where a home is occupied.

Department for Transport

Railways: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the closure of rail ticket offices on disabled passengers.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in their consultation. We recognise that many passengers value the services provided by staff at ticket offices and the Department recently hosted roundtable discussions with industry and accessibility and transport groups to discuss this matter. We continue to engage with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to understand any concerns. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future. This will include assisting those who need additional support and cannot or do not want to use digital tickets.

Railway Stations: Visual Impairment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to introduce tactile paving in all Network Rail stations.

Huw Merriman: We remain fully committed to fitting tactile paving at all remaining mainline railway stations in Britain by the end of 2025 at the latest. In the meantime, safety announcements are being made to advise blind and partially sighted passengers of the current lack of tactiles at platform edges where this is still the case.

Railways: Tickets

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191337 on Railways: Tickets, if he will make an estimate of the average age of people who use ticket offices.

Huw Merriman: The Department does not hold this information.

Railways: Tickets

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191337 on Railways: Tickets, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of ticket office closures on passenger (a) experience and (b) ability to travel.

Huw Merriman: When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider all equality related needs and make this clear in their consultation. No currently staffed station will be unstaffed as a result of industry changes, and train operators will ensure staff are well located to meet passenger needs in future. This will include assisting those who need additional support and cannot or do not want to use digital tickets.

Land: Rents

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the (a) adequacy of the implementation and (b) effectiveness of land rental schemes in England.

Mr Richard Holden: Regulations for two pioneer lane rental schemes in London, on Transport for London roads, and Kent were laid in February 2012. An evaluation of these schemes was published in 2016 and can be viewed at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/street-works-lane-rental-evaluation. This evaluation led in 2019 to the Government announcing that it would welcome bids for new lane rental schemes. Since then, Surrey County Council launched their scheme in 2021 and West Sussex County Council in 2022. These schemes have yet to be assessed.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to require all electric vehicle charging points to display the cost of electricity per kWh before use of the machine.

Jesse Norman: The Government will soon lay the regulations to improve the consumer experience at public electric vehicle chargepoints across the UK. Subject to progress made in Parliament, the regulations will mandate a pricing metric using pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) to ensure price transparency. This should make it easier for consumers to compare prices across the different charging networks in the UK.

Active Travel: Finance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish his Department's assessment of the likelihood of meeting its objectives for increased active travel under confirmed funding levels for April 2021 to March 2025.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s most recent assessment of progress against these and other objectives was set out in the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy report to Parliament in July 2022, a copy of which is available in the House Libraries. The Department will provide an updated assessment in its next report to Parliament in due course.

c2c: Tickets

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any (a) products, (b) fares and (c) services available at c2c stations will not be available as a result of the contactless ticketing trial.

Huw Merriman: Contactless Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) allows passengers ‘tap in’ and ‘tap out’ using a contactless bank card and smart media device, removing the need to queue for a ticket or top-up a smart card before travelling. PAYG will be an additional way for passengers to pay for their travel, with smart card and paper tickets remaining available. We are making changes to simplify fares to ensure PAYG works for passengers and will announce further details in due course.

c2c: Tickets

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects the trial of contactless ticketing at c2c to begin; and what the planned duration of that trial is.

Huw Merriman: The Secretary of State confirmed in February 2023 that we would extend contactless Pay-As-You-Go ticketing to 53 additional stations by the end of the year. This includes Chiltern, London Northwestern, and C2C services.

Department for Transport: Surveillance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 24 November 2022 on Security Update on Surveillance Equipment, WMS 386, whether they have (a) ceased deployment of visual surveillance systems produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China onto sensitive sites, (b) ensured no such equipment is connected to their departmental core network, (c) considered whether there are sites outside the definition of sensitive sites to which they would wish to extend risk mitigation and (d) put in place any additional controls or taken any further steps.

Jesse Norman: On 24 November 2022, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster published a Written Ministerial Statement noting that departments had been instructed to take a series of actions relating to surveillance equipment subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. DfT has been implementing this policy along with other protective security controls. At Report Stage of the Procurement Bill, the Government committed that, within six months of Royal Assent, the Government will set out the timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment supplied by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China from sensitive sites. DfT will be providing information to the Cabinet Office to support this commitment. It is a longstanding Government policy that specific security arrangements regarding Government estates are withheld on security grounds.

Women and Equalities

Conversion Therapy: Victim Support Schemes

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether victims of (a) sexual orientation and (b) gender identity conversion practices will have statutory access to victim support under the Government’s proposed conversion practices ban.

Stuart Andrew: The Government funds a support service for anyone affected by or at risk of conversion practices, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender. The service is run by Galop, which is the UK’s leading LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, and comprises a helpline, instant messaging service, and website, ensuring survivors of the practice can find and access the support that they need.

Conversion Therapy

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans the Government has for pre-legislative scrutiny of its ban on conversion practices.

Stuart Andrew: The Government will shortly publish a draft Bill and consultation response setting out our approach to banning conversion practices. The draft legislation will go for pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee in this parliamentary session.